Come Take a Walk With Me
by ericastwilight
Summary: Denied by the one he loves, when does love become obsession? Protector become predator? This is the story of a vampire who had been alone for so long, his one chance for love in the form of a human girl.
1. Prologue

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Prologue**

* * *

**Edward**

I had not given much thought on killing another for sport, much less vengeance, for over seventy years. The last time I had even considered doing such an act was when she walked into my class.

The hunger, the desire to take a life was much different from when I had first breathed in her scent in class. The cool, Port Angeles air, the nearby trash bin and those vile humans, did little to mask the scent of the fear that coursed through her veins.

They laughed manically as her scream pierced the night. I had caused that scream; my frustration with the one who had denied me had clouded my judgment. I had taken too long to come find her due to my pain and anger after she had made her choice.

A low rumble ignited in my chest as a whimper of pain left her lips, soon escalating to a roar. Anger and jealousy bit angrily at my very sanity, because they were touching what was mine.

I grinned as I crouched, ready to do what I must. It was four against one. It would be a massacre.

Theirs.

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**AN: This entire story is betaed by kyla713. Thank you for your help and your encouragement. Love you.**


	2. Unexpected

**AN: **This starts with a mixture of Twilight and the movie. The accident with the van has happened, he ignored her like in the books and this starts out with the cafeteria movie scene. Enjoy.

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**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter One – Unexpected**

* * *

Anger coursed bitterly through me as I heard Bella agree to go to La Push with her friends. It would be somewhere I could not follow. The one place I could not ensure her safety. I lifted an eyebrow in Alice's direction. Rolling her eyes, she looked into Bella's future.

There was nothing.

My eyes narrowed in confusion as I noticed the flicker of fear in my sister's eyes. She could not see if Bella would be safe while she visited the beach. I would have to patrol the Quileute borders until she returned to where I could keep a close eye on her.

"At least she's going to agree to go to Seattle with you," Alice said quietly. She was a little worried that her gift failed her when I needed it most. I placed a cool hand on hers and gave her a timid smile.

"I'm sure it will be fine," I lied. Jasper snorted under his breath and I leveled him a glare.

"You're not coming hunting with me this weekend, are you?" Emmett asked, his voice filled with accusation.

I shook my head, my ears and mind tuned to the conversation at Bella's table. I could see as Mike divulged on his internal struggle to stare at her backside as she walked toward the salad bar. I growled under my breath and was on my feet before I had even realized I wanted to go to her.

_Good luck_, Alice thought.

Bella's usual case of clumsiness caused an apple to fall from her tray. With my vampire reflexes, I quickly caught it, giving her a smile. Her heart seemed to skip a beat, which concerned me immediately.

_Watch yourself, Edward, _Jasper stated in his thoughts. _Right now, all I sense from her is confusion._ I nodded minutely and handed Bella her apple.

She raised an eyebrow, her eyes wide and searching. "Thanks." She brushed past me, causing me to gasp as her scent filled my mouth and nose.

I refused to respond, afraid to take another breath as my mouth filled with venom. I swallowed compulsively as she explained that I was causing her whiplash.

I guess I could understand her need to question my motives. The abrupt changes in my demeanor would cause anyone to feel as if there were on a rollercoaster ride.

I leaned in close as she rounded the counter of the salad bar. "I only said it'd be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

I could see confusion on her face, the area between her eyebrows furrowed and a small crease formed. I longed to touch her, to ease her worries. However, she had every reason to be concerned; after all a vampire was wretchedly in love with her.

"What does that mean?" she asked, her warm eyes once again trying to decipher my cryptic words.

I studiously tried to ignore the inane chatter of her friends, but Mike's internal conflicts were deafening, even for my kind. He battled with the need to break up our little spat and to save his own ass. He feared me, which pleased me greatly.

I took in Bella's features; the color that rose in her skin was both beautiful and excruciatingly painful. Once again, I dared to get closer to her, craving it in a way I still had trouble to understand. "It means if you were smart, you'd stay away from me."

I waited her to run, to take my advice and never look back. Alice had already foreseen what would happen; I would ask to take her to Seattle, she would accept, she would go to biology class while I tried to stay away while they did blood typing.

It gave me some semblance of hope. Hope that she might harbor similar feelings to what I had for her. Though nowhere near the magnitude of my devotion.

"Okay," she started as her eyes met mine again. "Well, let's say for argument sake that I'm_ not_ smart." I bit back a laugh as her eyes flared for a moment. Her anger dissipated just as quickly and she continued. "Would you tell me the truth?"

"No, probably not." I could not tell her. If I did, I would lose her forever. I could not risk that. I still wanted time with her before I had to walk away from her.

Her eyes narrowed and her chin lifted a little higher. The anger was back. "Well, then, Edward," she said slowly. "This is where we part ways."

"I –" I started, but she held up her hand.

"I'm not stupid," she spat as her face flushed with anger. I hissed and held my breath, my fists clenching against me. Her anger only sweetened her decadent scent, my thirst brought almost to the forefront of my thoughts.

_Did I not feed hours before school?_

"Your family doesn't eat or drink anything. You were barely breathing the first time you sat beside me in class. You," she stabbed a finger in my chest, likely hurting herself in the process. "– stopped a van with your bare hands. I don't appreciate being lied to, your cryptic messages and half-assed answers."

"But –" I started again, but she once again cut me off immediately.

"You wanted me to turn you away, you've succeeded," she said simply. "Good-bye, Edward." She turned and walked outside.

I stood there numb and completely stunned by what had just happened. _Is this what I want?_

I could hear the snickers and internal ramblings of Mike and his friends. I wanted so badly to smash something, and Mike Newton's head was quickly heading toward becoming that object.

Alice laid a small hand on my shoulder within moments of Bella's abrupt departure. "I did _not_ see that coming."

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**AN: beta'd by kyla713. **


	3. Denied

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Two – Denied**

* * *

I growled and left right after Bella, though I had no idea what I intended to do. Alice called out for me, as did the rest of my family. I had to know what caused the change; Alice had been so sure of Bella's future. I thought back to the vision she had during our family meeting after the van accident.

Bella looked radiant, smiling her skin reflecting the sunlight, her arm draped around Alice's waist. That was not a future that I wanted for Bella, but it was no longer a possibility.

It was what I wanted – for her to be safe and away from me. My pace slowed, knowing I could not follow her. She did not want me. "Edward," Alice said behind me. "I don't know what happened, but –"

A new vision floated into my mind. Bella looked feral, red eyes, and angry as my brothers held her back, spitting out my name.

"Why?" I asked, my voice hoarse. What had changed everything so dramatically? Could her denial be what destroyed our future? _This is what I want, _I reminded myself.

"I don't know."

"This will only come to pass if I stay," I said lowly.

Alice shook her head. "You won't be able to stay away."

"She does not want me."

"You're lying to her, keeping secrets. She's just confused," Alice said softly. "Give her time."

"This is what I wanted," I repeated to her and to myself.

"No, it's not."

I shook my head and turned toward the parking lot. "Run home," I said, not looking back.

"We will."

I drove far enough from the school to be able to hear when the next bell would ring. I did not dare to listen for any of my Biology classmates, seeing her blood would be my undoing.

Music filled my car as my head fell back against my headrest. Bella could and would be the only one that would prevent me from pursuing her. She had made it clear that my unwillingness to be forthcoming with her was enough for her to walk away.

What hope did I really have if she knew the truth? None.

Her denial would at least be from anger and not fear. An ache in my chest increased as I relived those short moments in the cafeteria continually. Her confusion and subsequent rejection was clear in her eyes, on her lovely face.

By lying and keeping my secrets, I had denied her, too. And in doing so, hurt her.

I could watch from afar. Watch as she grew into a beautiful woman, fall in love with another man, and have a future that I would never be able to give her. It would painful, achingly so, but she would be happy.

_With another man, _I thought_._

I tried to ignore the monster locked and changed within a box in the recesses of my mind. It was bitter and was coyly suggesting things to further break me.

_You want her._

I shook my head and closed my eyes. Her face was there behind my eyelids, where she would always be. She had been there since the first day I saw her. Change never came easy to a vampire and losing someone they loved etched in their minds forever. Carlisle had mentioned from his travels that vampires that had lost their mates became shells of their former selves.

Would that happened to me once Bella died of some kind of human affliction? How would I have? Several decades at most, days at least, I realized bitterly. Humans were fragile and more so with Bella it seemed.

I had already proven that I was unable to watch her get hurt or die. The accident with the van was a clear reminder of that. If something similar happened as I watched her, what would I do? Would I save her again? Would it be fair for me to haunt her like an apparition for the rest of her days?

If she did die, as she would, all humans do, what would be left for me? Would I be able to continue the lonely existence I had already lived for so long? Having her in my life had already given me a taste of what it felt like to love another. Love someone so much, that I would do anything to keep her safe.

Even stay away.

No. I had to keep trying, because I loved her. I had seen in other trite humans that persistence could make someone give in to another's desire. Yes, I could try another approach, if given the chance.

My phone chimed in my pocket, a text from Alice.

**She's going to faint in class. She can't stand the blood. Lol – A**

I quickly replied as I revved the engine and made my way toward the school.

**Is it her blood? Will she be alright? – E**

**No, and Mike's going to take her to the nurse. – A**

I growled and quickly accelerated. It was obvious that Alice had only told me this to give me another opening, another chance to change Bella's mind – to rescue her.

And it would be a cold day in hell if I was going to let _Mike _take what was mine. He was unworthy of her. I made it to the school just as the boy sat Bella on the concrete as she had asked him to. She seemed faint, her face sickly green even. I practically tore my door from the frame in my desperation to get to her.

I found them sitting on the concrete near Mrs. Goff's classroom. Mike's thoughts indicated that he considered lifting Bella in his arms, but he was worried that she may get sick if he did. I made my way toward them quickly, as they were both unaware of my presence. With the scent of Bella so close to him, the smell of Mike's tiny wound was barely a blip to my senses.

Thankfully, Alice was right; Bella had not pricked her finger. _That _would be too much for me to handle.

"Is she all right?" I asked, causing Mike to jump and fall on his backside. Though I was thoroughly amused at his shocked expression, I had matters that were more pressing – Bella.

"Where –" Mike spluttered. I ignored him and watched as Bella's head lulled to one side, exposing the delicate slope of her neck. I licked my lips, ignoring the venom that coated my teeth.

"Not him," Bella groaned quietly. Mike had a smug grin on his face as he stood and this only served to make me angry. I leveled him a glare that had his eyes widening and his heart racing. Reflected in his gaze was the monster, and I feared I wouldn't be able to contain him.

_Come on, give me a reason._

"Go back to class, I'll take her to the office," I growled.

"I can do it," he spat. I snarled and quickly gathered Bella into my arms. Without looking back, I walked at a human's pace toward the office. I relished in the warmth of her body, but kept her in at arms length, still afraid of proximity. Bella moaned as her lips pursed tightly and her eyes fluttered closed.

"Could this day get any worse," she said softly, a thin coat of sweat coating her forehead.

"I'm sure it could." I was amused and bitterly satisfied that she was suffering. She caused me anguish for the half hour; it felt like retribution.

"Oh, good," she moaned, sniffed, "More cryptic messages from the ever elusive Edward Cullen."

I bit back another growl that rumbled in my chest, but ignored her statement. "A simple thank you would suffice," I said lowly.

"I've thanked you already," she said as her eyes opened marginally, watching me. "Look where it got me."

"In my arms," I said, satisfied by the blush that filled her cheeks. At least she was getting some color back. She looked sickly pale, even more so than I did.

"A day ago, I wanted this," she said in a whisper I was not meant to hear. Did this mean she had feelings for me? If I had a beating heart, it would be slamming in my chest at that moment.

"And now?" I asked, but her answer would remain in her mind. I lightly kicked open the door to the office and gave Mrs. Cope a timid smile. She led me to a bed in the nurse's office. I laid Bella down carefully, giving into my compulsion to touch her. Brushing some strands of her hair, I reveled in it's texture before I tucked it behind her ear, but she flinched.

My hands clenched at my sides as I fled the room before I did something I would regret. I ignored Mrs. Cope, who had become alarmed by my sudden reappearance. That little flinch caused the pain in my chest to increase. I ran to my car, my phone chiming in my pocket. I refused to talk to Alice. It was obvious now that her visions would serve only to hurt me further. I crushed the phone, turning it to dust.

Bella's words replayed in my mind in crystal clarity. "_A day ago, I wanted this."_

She wanted me, but my deception had pushed her away. _This was what I wanted_, I reminded myself.

Deep down I knew I was lying to myself.

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**AN: beta'd by kyla713.**


	4. Compelled

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Three – Compelled**

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The roar of the engine did little to calm the inner turmoil in my mind. She had gone from seeking my presence to fearing my touch. _Make her yours._ I shook my head and increased in speed, with a few short minutes, I was at the end of the road. I left my car and took to running, a usual exercise that I had used often to clear my mind.

The day had gone nothing like I had originally planned. What was worse was that I knew of a possible future, one where she was happy alongside a member of my family. Now, that future seemed to have been lost.

In its place was Bella with red eyes, angry and looking at someone out of the range of the vision. My brothers were holding her back as my name spat angrily from her lips.

Did it mean that I had changed her against her will? I had never even considered it, wanting to preserve her humanity and soul. Why would this happen? I tried to come up with different scenarios and each one was as preposterous as the first.

Could another vampire have bitten her? Then what? I saved her?

The monster within me rolled his eyes. _Maybe you decided to have just a taste, and your family saved her._

I found my destination easily, sitting unceremoniously in the center of the meadow. I could not even partake in the beauty and serenity of my surroundings. Would everything be dull in comparison to Bella?

Yes.

How was it possible to fall so in love with someone and then have that love carelessly tossed aside?

She said my name in her sleep the other night. I had eventually come to realize that some of her sudden blushes and silences could be due to an attraction to me. So then, why was it so easy for her not to want me?

_You lied to her. You deceived her. You wanted to manipulate her._

I shook the thoughts of my darker side. I did not want to dwell on the negative, on what I had done wrong. I wanted to remember how she felt so close. So close.

_To her blood._

No.

_To her body._

No.

Once again, my kind's instinct to take and devour what it had no right to, was trying to dominate the more rational side of me.

She felt so warm, so soft and fragile in my embrace. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to dream – to fantasize. She would be tantalizing, tempting both in blood and body, but more so her mind. That quiet mind of hers that I had no way to decipher.

Now that she so easily walked away from me, I would never be able to flesh out the secrets of her mind. Oh! Just to know what she thought of me. Does she even find me attractive?

Her flushed skin, the increase in her heart rate, and the dilation of her pupils indicated that she may, but they were all side effects to fear as well.

Did I really scare her? Arouse her?

No. I forced my mind to take a more moral path of thinking. I laid back, the grey blanket of sky the only real thing to look at. I could see the molecules of water amongst the sea of clouds. The poised drops of water would soon fall upon the students as they left school.

Would she look up at the sky and curse the rain she hated?

I laughed aloud at the thought of the absurd look of disappointment that would no doubt grace her lovely face. I wished I had stayed close enough to watch her.

I would have to get used to it, after all. Two years of only watching from afar; yes, that was the only answer. Then she would leave Forks to go to college, and it would be for the best. Could I really justify following her?

_No._

I growled at the baser side of me. I would do what I could to keep her safe and love her from afar. I would even attempt to hold conversations with her while in school. Become friends.

Maybe, with time, she would see reason and want me. Want to be with me. Even if it was fleeting, a day or months of her love would have to be enough for eternity.

Oh! To feel her touch me of her own free will would be divine.

Yes, I would try to give her a reason to love me, love me as I loved her.

I had to. I suddenly found myself internally cackling.

~oOo~

Using the cover of the tree line, I hid my car amongst the foliage. I ran in the dark, basking in the feel of the chilled air against my bare skin. I was finally willing to accept that I needed Bella to survive. I needed to be close to her in any way I could.

With or without her knowledge.

When I reached the outer edges of the forest alongside her house, I could hear the hum of her ancient computer. I quickly climbed the tree outside her window to listen and watch.

She sat on an old chair, drumming her fingers against her desk. Her skin looked pale in the filtering moonlight, making her appear more like my kind. She huffed in what I could only guess was annoyance and hit the side of her monitor when it refused to brighten.

I heard footsteps come up the stairway and her father lingered at her door. "Bella," he said before knocking. I hid further into the leaves of the tree, watching as she turned to look at her father. He smiled at her gently, nervous about what he had to tell her.

"Um, your mom called," he said softly. "She sent us something and it was her idea."

Bella's eyes narrowed momentarily, her hand placing a few loose strands of her dark hair behind her ear. "What did she do?"

"She said we needed to communicate better," he said warily. "Here." He tossed her a package for a new cell phone.

Bella's face paled and she bit her lip. "She didn't?"

Charlie shrugged. "She did." He lifted a phone to show her that he had been roped in as well.

"You're on the same plan as Mom and Phil." Bella winced at her own words. "Sorry, Dad."

"It's okay, Bells." He ran his hand through the back of his hair. "Also, I upgraded from um, dial-up to high speed internet."

"Dad," Bella said loudly. "You did not need to get that for me."

"I do. Again Renee, I mean, your mother, was very persistent."

Bella looked back at her computer. "It's a waste of money since this computer is too old anyway."

Charlie shook his head. "We can see about getting you a laptop."

Bella held her hands defensively. "I draw the line at getting a new computer. I'll see about getting one myself."

"You sure, kid?"

Bella frowned but nodded. "Yeah, I have some money saved. I'll go to Port Angeles or Seattle to see what I can get."

"If you need any mon –"

"No. I can get it myself."

Charlie shook his head. "Haven't changed, have you?"

Bella bit her lip, but smiled. Charlie was remembering their last trip to California where Bella hadn't allowed him to buy her anything. She had even tried to pay for half of the hotel room where they had stayed.

"I don't like people spending money on me," she said softly.

"You've taken care of us long enough, Bells," he said. "Let us do something for you."

Bella looked at the square box that held her new phone in disgust. "You and mom have done enough."

Charlie chuckled. "Fine, but the offer still stands."

Bella nodded and stood as her father walked out. She tossed the phone on her bed and knelt down beside it. She slipped a hand in between her mattresses and pulled out a small wallet.

She sat on the bed, one of her bare legs draped over the edge, the other tucked beneath her bottom, as she counted her money. She would not have enough. She obviously would not take charity.

Perhaps there was something I could do.

I spent the next hour watching her do her homework, surf the web for computer deals and read a tattered copy of Wuthering Heights. It was a little after ten in the evening when she tossed her book aside and decided to open her new phone. She sat for several minutes, looking over the manual and all the features on her phone.

"It's not like I have anybody to call besides mom and Charlie."

She tossed her phone aside and crossed the room to her computer. She tapped the side of the monitor again and took a seat. She pulled up a blank word document and saved it immediately under the date in a file called "My Diary."

_Dear Me,_

_I walked away from him, and never has anything been so hard to do. Every fiber in my body fought against me. I wanted to ask him to join me on the beach. I longed for his touch and words, but how could I have anything with someone that chooses to lie to me? _

_Friends aren't supposed to lie or try to deceive each other. That is not the definition of a friendship, much less for a budding relationship._

_It was obvious he was trying to spare my feelings. Why would someone like him want me? It just seemed less painful for me to walk away now, before I was in too deep._

_However, it might be too late for that. How else do I explain the dreams? I pray that he leaves me alone now. However, I wish that he doesn't._

_I have to stay away, to protect myself from absolute heartbreak. He doesn't want me as I want him. I had lied for him, and I have. I think that deserves some truth. _

_I long for a kiss, a kiss from a prince. Though what prince would kiss a peasant?_

_Tonight, in my dream, if he doesn't run again, I will seek out my kiss._

_If only in my dreams._

Bella sighed deeply, wiping away a tear. I internally cursed myself as the drop fell to the hardwood floor. I had brought tears to her beautiful eyes. I had caused her pain.

_She deserves it after walking away, after hurting you. _The monster within me reasoned.

No. She did not deserve it, because she was right. I would only cause her more pain. Could I really tell her the truth? No. It would only compel her to run further away from me. Despite my need to protect her from me, I could not stand that idea.

I watched as she turned off her computer and slid into bed, wrapping her arms around her pillow. "Edward," she sighed, closing her eyes.

I longed to enter her room and inhale her enchanting scent. I wanted to feel the warmth of her body next to mine. I had to wait for Charlie's mind to settle into sleep before I could give in to my desires.

Bella's sleep was fitful, tossing and turning on her tiny bed. Once I was sure that Charlie was soundly asleep, I entered the room through her bedroom window. I inhaled deeply, venom quickly coating my mouth and tongue.

My body reacted wickedly in response to her scent. I felt as if I were coiled and ready to strike. My mouth watered with venom, my throat felt dry and cracked, and my body was tense and unyielding. I took another deep breath, her scent overwhelming me as I crossed the room. I knelt on the floor beside her bed, but I kept my hands to myself.

To see her dreams would be so helpful. I wanted to see what she thought of me. I looked back at her computer and wondered if there were more entries about me. I could not risk turning it on, since surely the noise that thing emitted would wake her.

She tossed, turning so that her face was within view. She sighed and pulled the covers over her shoulder. "Edward, don't run," she whispered.

Why was I running from her in her dreams? _Because you have in reality, _I thought.

"Don't," she said again. "Don't lie to me."

I grimaced at the trace of pain in her voice. Her soft lips parted slightly, and I leaned in enough to feel her breath on my lips. "Bella," I whispered so softly. Her heartbeat increased and her mouth parted more. "I don't want to lie, but I must."

"No. I don't like liars," she answered.

"It's only to protect you, love," I answered and finally gave in to my compulsion. My fingertips lingered over her cheek for a brief moment before tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Please," she moaned. I looked at her confused, and rolled my eyes at my stupidity.

She could not see me. "Please what?"

"Tell me what you are," she said more loudly. I touched her cheek again, hoping to calm her. She did, minutely.

"I'm a monster."

She shuddered under my touch and fear sweetened her blood. Internally, I groaned at the decadence of her scent and sobbed at her fear. She feared me. As she should.

"Even a monster deserves to be loved."

My thumb caressed her bottom lip. I rejoiced at the chance to touch her so intimately.

_It is a shame she thinks it is a dream._

"Can you love a monster?" I asked softly.

"Yes."

I could not help myself any longer and pressed my lips against hers. Then her eyes snapped open.


	5. Skin

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Four – Skin**

* * *

I was out the window before she would be able to register my presence. I remained in the woods that lined her backyard, when I heard her whisper my name. There was a small click, a crackle of electricity before her bedroom window illuminated from within.

"Edward?" she said again, confusion coloring her tone. Skin moved along the rougher texture of her cotton sheets, shifting on her small bed. Her heartbeat and breaths accelerated quickly. I heard the sound of her inhaling deeply. Two heartbeats later, she cleared her throat. "I know you're there," she whispered, her voice thick with sleep and mild curiosity.

The bed springs of her mattress groaned in my ears, followed by the soft padding of her feet against the hardwood floor. Deeply, I inhaled, taking in her scent as she stood at her window. The same window I had left open after my hasty exit.

"I'll call this Exhibit C," she said in an almost teasing tone. Was she collecting clues to what I was, trying to figure it out on her own? This was not good. "Good night, Edward."

How did she know? I couldn't understand her thought process. What made her think she had not been dreaming? After several minutes, her bedroom light went out, and her heartbeat slowed until she'd fallen asleep.

I warred with myself. I wanted to go back into her room, and yet I knew I could not. I quickly climbed the nearest tree until I was level with Bella's room, able to see inside.

I had been raised during my human years with enough moral compass to know that spying on her was wrong. However, I could not bring myself to stop. What if this was the only way I could see her, be with her?

I closed my eyes for a moment, lost in the lingering feel of her lips on mine, so soft and warm.

_You took a kiss, take another._

My eyes snapped open as Bella shifted in her bed. Her head lulled to one side, and then another as if she was experiencing a nightmare. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. I could see her feet kicking the sheets off her in what could only be terror.

"Edward," she gasped. "No… liar… don't… no!" She snapped upright, her eyes wide and alert as her hand clutched at her chest. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a few deep breaths.

"I'm never going to get any sleep," she grumbled. Her hand ran through her hair, catching once in the riot of curls before she grabbed something to pull it up. She stumbled out of bed, whispering under her breath. "Stupid-Volvo-driving-boy."

I snorted, somewhat enjoying that I was the reason for her distress. If I was part of her dreams, it meant that she was thinking of me. I wanted her to want me. She walked tiredly to her bedroom door, wiping the sleep from her eyes with a small hand. With careful and measured steps, she walked into her bathroom.

_Now is your chance._

I did not hesitate. I swiftly ran up the tree that neared her window. Within seconds, I was in her closet, remembering to close her window and noticing that he had not locked it. Was that in some way meant to be an invitation? I shook my head at the thought, of course not.

The water ran in the bathroom and there was the sound of metal against metal. Her soft footfalls in hallway were a reminder that I was an unwelcome visitor in her home. I could smell the scent of cough syrup on her breath as she entered her bedroom. Was she ill? I couldn't detect anything wrong with her breathing or heart.

She walked over to her dresser that stood across from her closet, pulling out a long sleeved shirt. My breath hitched when her hands grabbed the hem of her ratty t-shirt. I bit the inside of my cheek, the sting a welcome reminder that what I was doing was an all-time low. I closed my eyes because I knew that watching her undress was morally reprehensible.

The sound of rustling fabric forced my eyes to snap open – the barbaric side of me had won.

Underneath the cotton was nothing but pale, creamy skin. Taut skin stretched over her abdomen. Her navel, a tiny indentation; the muscles quivered as her hands revealed more skin.

_No! I should not be doing this._

Venom coated my tongue as arousal coursed through my unyielding body. For the first time in my existence as a vampire I was – hard.

_Take her._

_No!_

I would be no different than those I had hunted during my rebellious period when I had left Carlisle. I could not hurt her. Even if she wanted me, I could not lay a hand on her that would cause her any pain.

_You want her._

I had no doubt that I wanted her in every way possible. I never wanted a human's blood or body so much. I could not what I wanted.

_Take what you want._

The entire conversation within my own dark mind had taken less than two seconds. I shifted to bring some relief to my situation, but it was futile. With my eyes wide open, the underside of Bella's breasts became exposed.

I inhaled deeply, and then stopped breathing entirely. I hoped that without her decadent scent clouding my judgment, I would not dare touch her.

I was wrong.

The allure of her warm skin called to me as much as the blood that ran beneath it. The desire to touch, stroke and taste her skin was unbearable; threads of my sanity were beginning to unravel.

The roundness of her breasts surprised me. None of the clothing she had worn since I had known her had given me a glimpse of what lay beneath her oversized sweaters. I exhaled suddenly as her dusty rose nipples filled my vision. She inhaled sharply when one of her short fingernails scraped against the pink skin, the surface pebbling and hardening.

I gasped, unable to control it, causing her to still. Her shirt stopped midway past her shoulders, but the pause only lasted a second. She threw her t-shirt toward the corner of her room, completely missing the white wicker hamper.

_If I am going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly._

I took the time to look at her – memorizing. She had slender but strong shoulders as if she spent a lot of time swimming. Her breasts were the perfect size for her small frame; round and any slight movement hinted to their softness.

She did not seem to be eating enough, because I could easily make out most of her ribs. Did she not know how important it was for her to eat? I made a mental note to check her kitchen cabinets and refrigerator.

Her chest tapered to a lean torso and flared out to the supple curve of her hips.

Beautiful.

Exquisite

Or as Emmett would say, she was hot.

_Yours – make her yours._

I stifled a groan of disappointment and frustration as thin fabric covered her beautiful curves from my view. I had to reign in the part of me that wanted to tear the cotton and take a sweet peak in my mouth, laving it with my tongue…

…_and biting._

No! I had to control myself. I would not hurt her.

_Just a taste._

My baser side roared with anger, thrashing in its cage. It wanted out, and a small part of me wanted to release him. However, another part, the side that adored and loved the young woman whose quiet mind was a mystery to me, still wanted to touch her – but not harm. No harm will be done to such a divine creature. Never, I reminded myself.

Bella sighed, looked wistfully at her computer before she climbed in her bed, pulling the blankets under her chin.

"Damn lying-peeping-tom with super strength… stupid," she mumbled, touching her lips with her forefinger.

Well, even if her mind was unreadable, I knew what she thought of me. However, she remembered the kiss. Whether that was a good thing or not was left up to her.

Bella fell asleep within ten minutes and into a gentler state of REM sleep several minutes later. I slipped out of her closet, taking a seat in her rocking chair. I watched her sleep and ached to touch her again.

_As if it worked out so well before._

With her skin now amply covered with layers of clothing and blankets, the instinct to take her had quieted. Moonlight filtered through the bedroom window, cascading beautifully across her face. My name, despite her drug-induced sleep, escaped her lips in quiet whispers and groans.

I watched from the corner of her room, listening to every breath as I acclimated myself to her scent. If I had any hope of some form of relationship with Bella, I would have to be accustomed to the burn.

~oOo~

Morning came, and I knew my presence would not remain undetected. Once I heard her father stir, I left to change quickly at home. I still had an erection, cursing vampiric lustful and sexual urges when I arrived.

_What's the matter, Eddie? _Emmett asked as he had seen me cross the foyer toward the staircase. I cringed, and then growled when I could see that he knew exactly why I was cursing.

"Nothing," I spat.

"Touchy, touchy," he teased. "Well, you will be touchy-touchy while you shower with Bella on the brain." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows luridly.

I glared at him and pondered for a nanosecond on wrestling him, which dissipated my problem immediately. I grinned. "Thank you."

He looked confused and realized what happened, and then flipped me off as he left through the garage door.

I ran up to my room and dressed rapidly, desperate to see Bella again.

~oOo~

I heard the rumble of her truck approach, still miles away when I arrived at the school. I remained seated in my car while Alice pranced over to my window. I questioned her silently with an arched eyebrow, a smile gracing her lips.

She handed me a new cell phone. "It will work. Carlisle already made arrangements for the donations, and Mr. Banner is quite excited."

"Thank you," I said. I could clearly see that Alice was hiding something from me. "Will she be my partner for the science fair?"

Alice grinned mischievously. "Maybe."

I growled and glared at her. "Yes or no?"

She shrugged. "It depends on Mike Newton. Well, if you scare him enough, at least."

I could not help the smile that pulled on my lips.

"Thought you'd like that," Alice said with a laugh.

"Do you have her cell phone number?" I asked, looking over my newly enhanced iPhone. It was a pain to have to make adjustment to anything that responded the warmth of a human's touch, but it was something that we had to do as technology advanced

"I know it, but only because I've seen you ask her for it."

"Good, then you just give it to me, and I'll ask for it anyway," I said lowly.

"Where's the fun in that?" I growled as she skipped toward her husband, who wore a look of apprehension.

_It's your fault that her new form of entertainment seems to be you and that little human._

I shook my head and exited my car when I heard Bella's truck approaching. I crossed the student parking lot and waited near where she usually parked. Her eyebrow rose questioningly when she noticed me, and her heartbeat quickened.

"Hello, Bella," I said softly as she jumped out of her monstrous truck.

"Hmm, seems like you don't take your own advice."

I bristled, my fists clenched at my sides. "I wanted to check and see if you are feeling better," I said, ignoring her previous statement. Already I allowed a little of myself to come through in the way that I normally talked. It was something I had modernized to keep with the human façade, but with Bella I wanted her to know the real me. "You know… since you fainted at the sight of blood." I grinned when she threw me a glare. I motioned for her to walk ahead, matching her stride and slow pace.

"I'm fine," she said, her chin lifting to show her strength and pride. "And it wasn't the _sight_ of blood but the smell of it." She waved her hand in front of her nose, as if she wanted to dispel the memory. "Metallic and salty."

"Humans cannot smell blood," I said, surprised that she would say something like that.

She stopped suddenly and turned to look up at me with those soul-searching eyes. Her eyebrows rose in surprise, gazing at me as if I were stupid.

"It's funny how you said that," she said smugly. What was going through her mind?

It was my turn to look at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"You said, 'humans.'" She bit her lip, waiting. "Why would you say it like that?"

Observant little human.

* * *

**AN: beta'd by kyla713, thanks.**


	6. Smart

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Five – Smart**

* * *

I stood there, unable to come up with anything remotely clever. Bella rolled her eyes and walked toward her locker. I quickly caught up with her, moderately stunned and impressed that she noticed something that others would easily overlook. Of course, that was not the first time she had done it; the mistake I had made with her preferred name being the first.

"You look like you got a full night's sleep," she said as her steps slowed.

I internally cringed at the accusation in her tone. "I had a restful evening," I said smoothly. It was not a lie. To be in the presence of her quiet mind felt like rest in comparison to the six minds of my family members.

Her steps came to a stop and her beautiful eyes met mine. "You're going to continue lying to me?" The softness of her voice warned me to tread lightly.

I placed my hand in the pocket of my jeans and averted my eyes for a moment. "I am not lying," I said, matching her tone. "I will not lie to you anymore." However, I said the last part too low for her human ears to hear.

She shook her head and growled as her hands fisted and she stomped her foot a little. Her display of anger, the flush of her skin and scowl made me laugh. Just a little bit; unfortunately it did not go unnoticed.

_A big mistake, bro,_ Emmett thought as he and Rosalie arrived.

I cleared my throat as her cheeks flushed further, and I swallowed compulsively; the venom burned like acid. I attempted to appear remorseful, but it was harder than I thought. Her anger amused me.

"You know, if you're going to stalk someone and sneak into their room at night, you might consider not wearing –" she leaned in closer suddenly, catching me off guard. I could feel the warmth of her body even under her ridiculous sweater. I had to stop breathing. "– such a unique cologne."

With her so close, I focused on her attire, and my mind chose that moment to replay her removing her t-shirt. She was waiting for me to say something, so I decided to play dumb. "Come again?" I said, keeping my features furrowed in confusion.

She huffed angrily, obviously keen on what I was doing. I cringed when she stomped away, calling me every nasty word in the English language and then some in Spanish.

She had a temper, this little human, and she was quite possibly as stubborn as they come. Yet, I found her anger highly amusing and arousing when paired with the memory of the previous night. She walked to her locker to remove a book and put a few items inside. I leaned against the one beside hers. It did not escape my notice, the side-glance she gave me from the top of my head to my feet. She blushed and turned her full attention to the contents of her locker. I tried to read her features, hoping to see a little more of her anger there.

However, her expression alarmed me. I had expected anger; instead, defeat graced her lovely face.

I remembered her words from her diary where she had written that she thought I did not want her. I had to show her how beautiful she was to me. A few strands of her hair fell from the clip she wore. I took the errant strands and weaved them behind her ear. Her cheeks flushed again as her heartbeat increased. My fingertips circled her ear and cradled her cheek.

"You are really beautiful when you do that," I said sincerely. Her cheek warmed under my icy palm, the heat radiating from throughout my hand and into the tips of my fingers.

"But I do that –" she whispered and bit her lip. "I blush all the time."

I smiled and cocked my head to the side. "Exactly."

She raised an attractive eyebrow. "Smooth," she said with a laugh, rolling her eyes. Despite her teasing, I could she was pleased with my response.

"May I walk you to your class?" I asked as she closed her locker. Her eyes met mine and she nodded.

Side by side, we walked slowly to her first class. I longed to take her hand in mine, but the other part of me wanted to pull her close and feel the warmth of her body against mine. I shook those thoughts deep into the recesses of my mind. Focusing instead on the whispers from the other students, all were mind-bogglingly boring and every one of them incorrect. They all assumed that we were dating.

"I heard that you were heading to Seattle the day of the dance?"

She looked confused again and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "You know, for someone that doesn't talk to anyone and most people tend avoid you, you sure do hear a lot."

Yes, she was much too observant for her own good. I smirked and replied, "Mostly rumors and quiet whispers."

"Hmm, like my name, and the reason I turned down Mike," she said with a flutter of her lashes.

_I__s she flirting with me? _That idea pleased me.

"And Tyler, and Eric," I teased.

She scowled and her fists clenched around the strap of her bag. "Don't remind me."

I smiled and stopped outside of her classroom. "Was there another reason you chose not go to the dance?" I asked, amused by the immediate flush in her cheeks.

She averted her eyes but then held up her chin and met my gaze. "I could make up something to respond to that but it would be a lie. And I don't lie unless it's necessary."

"You do not find it necessary now?"

She shook her head and hitched the strap of her bag on her shoulder higher. "I'm hoping that by not lying to you that you'll extend me the same courtesy."

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "I can't, Bella," I said, a plea for her to understand.

"Why, Edward? Tell me why?"

"You would run from me," I said, dropping my gaze and walking away. I knew she was watching me so I glanced over my shoulder, our eyes meeting. "As you should."

~oOo~

I had not bothered to attend my first class, opting to feed instead. My eyes already were turning black. My hunger was never truly sated, and having Bella around had made this even worse. The control I had been barely grasping onto was taking a toll on my body. I was feeding more and my body was absorbing the animal blood I consumed much faster than normal.

After taking my fill from one buck and two deer, I returned to school seconds before the third period bell. The rumors had already started about the science fair that Mr. Banner and Mr. Murphy were holding.

The first place winning pair would take home a brand new top of the line laptop and printer. With Bella's intelligence and my help, we would win and she would get her computer. She would be unaware that I had helped orchestrate the entire thing.

Of course, I had another reason for the science fair; she would have to spend time with me if we worked together.

Easy, right?

No. It was not easy when everyone was clamoring to be her partner. Some were looking for the win, but the boys were asking for the same reason I wanted her to be my partner. Both Angela Weber and Bella were bombarded with requests. Alice assured me that Mr. Banner would only allow students to collaborate with students within their same class.

My concern was Mike. I had to make sure he did not ask her before Biology, so I had to do anything I could to prevent it. The first time he thought about asking Bella, I bumped into him in the hallway, _accidently_ ripping his backpack open and dropping his book, missing his chance.

The second time was between fourth period and lunch. He waited for Bella outside of her class, planning to ask her as they walked to their next class. I enlisted Jasper's help and had him influence a heavy case of nerves, and within a minute, Mike was fidgeting and sweating. However, he was still determined to ask her.

Therefore, I told Jasper to do something – anything. Jasper could think of only one thing – arousal. He sent a wave of lust so potent that Mike had to hide his predicament with a book before he fled to the nearby restroom in embarrassment and pain.

I growled and nearly lunged as he passed, since his thoughts were composed of Bella-fueled fantasies. I contemplated his grizzly death as Jasper held me back while he fantasized Bella riding him, while taking matters into his own hands.

"Human boys," Jasper said with a shrug. "Sorry."

"Thank you," I spat. "Now I have to live with Mike's fantasy of Bella riding him and calling him 'big daddy' for the rest of my existence."

_Now you know how I feel when all the boys around here moon over Alice._

"Yes, you _feel_ them fantasizing. I _see_ those fantasies."

Jasper grinned and rolled his eyes. "He's getting pretty loud in there," he said, looking toward the restroom where Mike was trying to mask his grunts.

The class bell rang and students started to trickle into the hallway. "Disgusting," Emmett said around the corner. "I can't believe Mike's self-loving in the boys' restroom." He said it loud enough for Lauren and Eric to hear as they disappeared down the hall.

I looked at him in confusion while Black Eyed Peas _My Humps_ ran through his head. "You're welcome," he said with a wide wicked grin, refusing to elaborate further.

I growled and walked to my next class, listening to the other students near Bella.

Did she think of me as I thought of her?

I was beginning to think that I had become somewhat obsessive of her. She was in my thoughts constantly since the first day I had seen her. I berated myself for the cryptic message I had given her just hours before. Once again, I was proving that I could not be trusted.

One step at a time, I reminded myself.

I seemed to be in constant battle with my own urges. I wanted her. I loved her. I needed her. For her to accept those things, I would have to be truthful.

Would she run if I told her that I craved her blood?

Yes.

Now the question was would she run if I told her I craved _her_?

The dark recesses of my mind analyzed the stolen glances, the blush that warmed her skin, and her secret words. I could only come up with one answer.

No. A part of her wanted me in the same way.

Lunch soon arrived, my thoughts as always preoccupied with the object of my desire. I listened as Jessica chatted relentlessly at an attentive looking Bella. If it was not for her quick glance around the cafeteria, I would have believed that she was actually interested in the inane discussion of the upcoming dance.

I watched as Mike smiled jovially at Jessica and gave Bella a half smile that he seemed to aim as being seductive. It did not work for either of the two women, as they both cringed when he offered Bella an apple.

_Ew, gross! _Jessica thought. They both had heard about Mike had been doing in the bathroom earlier.

"No thanks, Mike," Bella said, taking a step back onto a spill on the floor. At that exact moment, Alice yelled for Emmett to get Jasper. Bella screamed, catching the corner of the metal counter just before she hit the floor.

Alice once warned me that a simple thing would drastically change the future.

Bella chose to turn away from me when I warned her to. That changed the beautiful vision of her with Alice as one of us. The future changed into something much more sinister, a feral and angry Bella.

Because I chose to interfere with Mike, to save her I would have to risk exposing myself to the unsuspecting children of Forks High School – again.

* * *

**AN: betaed by kyla713.**


	7. Hurt

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Six – Hurt**

* * *

I stopped breathing and immediately Alice's vision accosted me. I knew what had to be done.

By the time I took two steps toward Bella, I heard the hiss of the sprinkler system start and chaos ensued. I could see in my peripheral vision Emmett grasping Jasper, stopping him from attacking. The only thing on his mind was the call of Bella's blood.

Alice stood in front of her husband, trying to calm him as Rosalie came from behind to pull him outside. His were dilated, feral with lust that made him roar with desperation. He was desperate to get to what he needed to quench his thirst.

While my family tried to remove Jasper from the path of temptation, students were running toward the exits, screeching and cursing at the top of their lungs. Bella lay amongst the fleeing feet of her fellow classmates almost forgotten.

My need to keep up my human façade left me and soon I was hovering over Bella. She was unconscious and extremely pale. I surprised Angela with my sudden appearance beside her, but her concern lay with Bella instead of me.

_Oh God, Bella! _She thought.

A few strands of Bella's hair, blood, and skin clumped at the corner of the stainless steal counter. Angela trembled beside Bella and me, looking at the evidence of the injury. I groaned knowing she was seriously hurt and because of the rich crimson color of her blood that began to pool.

"She needs to go to the hospital," Angela said as her voice cracked from fear.

Trepidation stopped me from speaking, Bella's freshly spilled blood too much of a temptation. I nodded, taking her pliant body in my arms.

My clothes had saturated with water in the short time since Bella's accident, clinging to my impenetrable skin. I worried that I was moving too fast. However, I was functioning on one thing and that was instinct – instinct to protect that one I loved.

Standing with Bella in my arms, I saw that I would have to handle this alone – without my family. Jasper was still trying desperately to return while my family struggled to take him further away.

I could see the small pool of Bella's blood on the floor, having formed a misshapen heart. Within moments, the cascading water caused her blood to thin and caused the shape to appear to bleed out. I shook the image from my mind and quickly made my way toward the exit. Shock registered in my mind, Angela was confused and too close. I could not speed up for risking more exposure.

Aggravated with the situation, I turned to Angela and told her to call Bella's father and tell everyone that I was taking Bella to the hospital. Angela looked at me with apprehension, seemingly hesitant to leave Bella, causing me to snarl in return. Her eyes widened and she fled toward the office just as the principal started in my direction.

Ignoring their calls, I made it around a corner and ran at full speed to my car.

_Carlisle is waiting._

I was not aware what direction Alice was in and quickly buckled an unconscious Bella in my car.

Immediately struck with the need to clear her scent from my senses, I closed her door, drawing in a few deep breaths. I growled, the frame of my car buckling under my hand as it continued to accost me. It lingered in the air as potent little drops had trailed across the parking lot.

She was bleeding quite a bit and a knot was forming under her skin. Now because of me, she was suffering from yet another head injury. This one was far more serious.

I took one more breath, filling my lungs and halting my breathing. Leaving my door open, I lowered the windows, wishing I had thought this out. I should have run to the hospital instead of risking sitting in a car with an open wound.

I pulled out, the tires screeching as I exited the student parking lot. My speed reached over one hundred miles per hour by the time I was able to make out the sounds of police sirens. Passing Bella's father on the highway as the hospital neared, I fought against my desire to breathe.

With one hand on the wheel, I removed my jacket and laid it gently over Bella's injury, the knot becoming larger than before. Blood was pooling under her skin and the severity of the situation had risen.

Within seconds, I approached the emergency entrance, pulling up at full speed before coming to an abrupt stop. Heads turned as I sped around to pull Bella out of the car. Carlisle was already a step ahead thanks to a call from Alice, at the entrance waiting for me with a stretcher.

His eyes met mine asking if I was all right. Unable to speak, I nodded. He left with Bella and a few nurses, giving instructions and moving inside the building. A set of tires and breaks protested behind me as Chief Swan drove up.

"Where is she?" he called out to me. He grabbed me by the shoulders, turning me easily but shock registered suddenly on his face. Horror had his heart rate increasing and with a trembling hand, he touched my blood drenched shirt.

I jumped back with a shake of my head. "No," I growled. His eyes widened as his muddled thoughts worried that something was wrong with me.

"Son," he said in a smooth, gentle voice. "Where is my daughter?"

"Too much blood," I said, clenching my eyes shut, but the blood was still there. "Inside. She's inside." I was gasping desperately for breath as he led me by the elbow into the hospital.

"Tell me what happened?"

"She fell," I said slowly, replaying the events in my head. "Hit her head on the steel counter at school."

"Alright," he said softly, his voice quivering with fear. "I'm going to get your father."

I did not understand why he felt the need to find Carlisle other than to check on Bella but he seemed determined to find him for me. "Edward, right?" he asked, looking behind me. "You need to breathe, son."

I breathed in deeply, instantly regretting it. The scent of her blood was pungent in the air, circulating in my lungs and rattling the cage of the monster within me.

I stood up straight, barely containing the growl caught in my throat. "I have to go." I knew I could not stay, if I did, I would break down and take what I wanted – to hell with the consequences.

Without waiting for a reply from Chief Swan, I left the hospital. When I could hear no one around me, I ran. My phone rang, alerting me of a text. Checking in on me, Alice said she would have Esme take care of my car, indicating she would replace the seat as soon as possible.

I tore at my crimson stained shirt when I approached my sanctuary – the meadow. I flung my shirt aside and tried desperately to ignore the need to retrieve it. Despite the fact that the blood had long dried, the smell still lingered on it. So good, and it took everything in me to stop myself from seeking the blood stained garment and holding it to my nose.

Sitting amongst the tall grass, I was more aware than ever that it was not fair for me to pursue Bella.

_Why did I leave the hospital?_

I asked myself that question repeatedly while the sun set. I left because I did not want to risk her further injury. I left because I did not want to be tempted further. I left because I loved her.

Another message came in hours later from Carlisle, asking me to call. I felt the air from my lungs leave me viciously. With trembling fingers, I dialed his number and he answered with a whisper of my name.

Something was very wrong.

~oOo~

Fifteen minutes later, I entered the hospital, after grabbing a sweater from home, and walked warily to Carlisle's office. I could hear the shifting of paper as I breathed deeply, Bella's scent still circulating in the air around me.

"Come in, Edward," Carlisle said softly, aware of my presence.

With an unprecedented level of fear I had never felt before, I turned the knob and walked inside his office. Carlisle sat behind his desk, laden with paperwork and files, all neatly in piles. My eyes immediately fell on Bella's medical file.

"Tell me," I whispered, as my eyes remained on the file as if I could read the contents while it lay closed.

Carlisle sighed deeply. "She suffered from a few skull fractures and a subdural hematoma. It was determined early on that it was rather acute, son, we had to operate."

My breathing hitched as he explained how he had to burr holes into her skull to relieve pressure and tie up the bleeding vein. With every word he said, my dead heart grew heavier, weighted by the guilt from my actions.

"…during the final stages of the surgery, she had a seizure and I had to sedate her again."

Fear gripped me, causing every cell in my body to tense. The arms of the chair I sat in crumbled to dust under my fingertips. Carlisle stilled and waited for me to calm down, but it was futile.

I was beyond reason.

"Is she going to be all right?" I asked as my body vibrated with the need to get up and go to her.

"Edward," he said. "There's a chance she'll still lead a healthy life when she awakens, but there's also a chance she may suffer from seizures or perhaps memory loss."

My eyes snapped to his as he said the words "memory loss."

"She may forget me," I whispered gravely.

"She may not, Edward."

Closing my eyes, conflicting feelings were warring inside me. The clean slate of memory loss would allow me to start over again, and this time I would ensure my place in her heart.

I shook the thought immediately, because I would just be omitting the truth and using her memory loss to my advantage. I could not do that to Bella, after she walked away from me for keeping things from her.

"May I see her?"

Carlisle nodded. "Charlie left to go home to get some things for her, for when she wakes up tomorrow morning."

"Fine."

"Edward," he said softly. "Charlie said he was worried about you, said you looked like you were in shock."

"I was covered in her blood, Carlisle," I hissed. "She is in that damn hospital bed because of me."

"I know you think that –"

I held up my hand to stop from continuing. "I had Jasper use his powers to influence another student to do something. When Bella heard about it, she panicked and fell."

"Alice said Emmett had a hand in it also."

I cringed at the words he used. "That does not matter. I should have just left it alone."

"Perhaps you need to just be honest with her," he said, walking around his desk to lead me out of his office. Walking down a corridor, I noticed Bella's scent lingering in the air had become more potent. She was so close.

"I cannot lose her because she fears me," I said in a chocked whisper.

Outside of Bella's room, I could hear the whir and beeps of the machines that carried the medication that kept her free from pain. She was alone in her room, the beating of her heart, a soft gentle sound, soothed me.

She was alive and that's what mattered.

"We can't stay here during the day tomorrow because it'll be sunny," Carlisle said. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow evening."

I nodded and walked slowly into the room. A large part of me felt immense guilt over the situation, but a small part was also immensely happy.

_It looks like going with Mike to the beach is out of the question._

I could not help the pull at a corner of my lips.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713.**


	8. Pushed

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Seven – Pushed**

* * *

There were many sounds in Bella's room. From the dripping from her IV, the whir of electricity that pulsed through the machine, to the sound of her blood running through her veins—all resonating throughout the room. The most significant of those was the beat of her heart.

_Thump, thump, thump._ Each beat just a fraction of a second before the beep that monitored her heart.

I stood at the foot of Bella's hospital bed, and for a moment, I watched a clear drop of IV fluids fill the tubing on its journey into her blood stream. My eyes traveled from the bag to the pinched skin under the translucent tape around the needle on her hand. From where I stood, I could hear—almost feel—the blood rushing through her veins. It appealed to me, as I am sure it always would, but seeing her fragile body seemed to affect me greatly.

She was in that bed because of me. It was then that I noticed something.

I had spent over eighty years analyzing and even dissecting the minds of others. Ninety-nine percent of the time, most of the human thoughts that surrounded me were typically mundane. In many cases, thoughts were all similar to others.

The only minds that seemed to differ were those of the vile humans that I used to hunt. Even those during my rebellious period seemed to blur together, all consumed with loathing, hate, sadistic thoughts – excuses for the crimes they had committed.

None of those minds prepared me for the first moment I invaded the thoughts of my Bella.

I stood stalk-still, as if I was afraid that if I moved, I would lose the ability to reach into her mind. Immediately, a part of me wondered why _now_ I could read her. Was her injury worse that Carlisle had concluded? I ignored the morose thoughts that threatened to consume me. I had to. If I did not, I would cease to function.

How did humans deal with all these frailties?

During the downward spiral line of thinking, another part of my brain concentrated on what I was reading from Bella's once quiet mind. What I could see was strange, as if peeking into thoughts that were submerged underwater. Ripples flowed over the memory, or thought, but I could not help but feel at peace.

It was as if there were no other voices or thoughts in my head. I concentrated, attempting to wade through the strange memory.

"Will you stop trying so hard?" a voice very much like Bella's said.

What the hell? It was not in the room that I heard her voice but in my mind.

"Relax," the voice said. I took an unnecessary breath and willed my body to let go. "Much better," her voice said again.

"Who are you?" I asked in my thoughts, perhaps aloud, too. I felt slightly foolish and wondered if this was how my family felt when they communicated silently with me. Whatever was happening, I decided to see where it would lead. However, a tiny part of me wondered if I had lost my mind.

Suddenly the waters receded, the images I was trying to snatch from her thoughts cleared, but only just. The edges remained as dark and unfocused as before. Bella was sitting on an Adirondack chair, her face tilted up to the sun. It shone with such intensity that I swore I felt it heat my cool skin. She was dressed in short denim cut offs and a white eyelet sleeveless shirt, the most revealing clothing I have seen on her. Well, besides her sleepwear. She was breathtaking. Her hair in the sun was truly a sight to see—so many colors.

"You're staring."

"I am sorry," I said. I took what I perceived as another step further into her mind—closer to the figure that represented her thoughts. At least, that's what I concluded.

She sighed and looked at me with wide luminous eyes. "I know you," she whispered, but there was confusion in her features.

"You do," I stated simply.

"I dream about you," she continued, shifting to bring her knees up close to her chest. "You chase me or sometimes run from me."

I could not help the smile that pulled at my mouth. "Which did you prefer?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I think I'd prefer if you remained still."

My eyebrows furrowed in awe of her, and I managed to take another step before reaching the end of the shadowed area seemingly cloaking me. Tentatively, I held out a finger to the sunlight. Nothing, I did not shimmer like the rest of my kind, nor did I burn like the clichéd vampires of old folktales.

With that in mind, I took another step into the light of Bella's mind.

"Now, tell me why you would prefer me to be still?" I asked, both curious and nervous.

Bella smiled a knowing smile. "There are many reasons. Mostly to answer the questions I seek, but I seem to want something from you. But I don't know what."

"Perhaps I can help you," I said, as I became determined to close the distance between us.

The moment I delved deeper into her thoughts, I felt an incredible resistance. I could still see Bella sitting there under the sun, but her words lost coherency. I could no longer hear her.

Suddenly, a tremendous force threw me back, and wave after wave of it came at me. I gasped as my eyes snapped opened into my reality. I felt stinging pain in my mind, not overly painful—just different. For a moment, I remembered as I child when I stumbled into an anthill. Memories of what it felt like as they crawled over my thin legs reflected what I was feeling now.

As if I could shake off the pain as I had the ants, I ran my hands through my hair roughly. The relief was instantaneous.

"Edward," Carlisle said from behind, alarming me. I had been completely unaware of his presence. "What just happened? You were here, but—"

I could hear the confusion in his words and mind. I looked to see what he had seen with his own eyes for the last five minutes. I had stood at the foot of Bella's bed, my eyes closed, and my mouth moving but no sound escaped me. There was a moment where my hand outstretched forward.

"Answer me," he said. "I've never seen anything like it. My mere presence should have alerted you, and I even tried to get your attention. You were unresponsive."

Sensing his impatience in his thoughts, I held up my hand to assure him I intended to answer. I took a moment to gather my thoughts.

"I was able to read her thoughts," I said slowly. "I was so immersed in her mind that—" Unable to come to terms with it myself I remained silent for a few moments.

"What, son?" he urged.

"It was as if a watered-veil lifted from her mind, allowing me to listen and—" I ran through my own memory of that all too brief period in Bella's mind.

"Edward," Carlisle said firmly.

"—and participate."

"That doesn't make any sense, son." He clasped a hand on my shoulder, but my eyes remained on Bella. "Are you saying that not only were you able to read her mind, but she read yours too?"

I knew the look he was giving me was one of speculation and doubt. Nevertheless, that was certainly, how it felt.

"Yes, I felt like we were together, just a few feet from each other. She spoke to me as if I was there."

"Is that the way it is when we talk to you through our thoughts?"

I shook my head. "No, we discussed this before. It's like a television set. I pick up signals around me."

"But it wasn't that way with Bella's thoughts?"

"In Bella's, I was a part of it. I could see, hear and feel everything around me."

"Alright," he said thoughtfully. "I wasn't what brought you out of her mind. What did?"

"I am no sure. I just felt like I was forced out, and I felt a strange sensation of tingling."

"Did you get a sense of why it suddenly happened?"

"Hmm, I tried to get closer to her. Delve even deeper I suppose."

"I've never seen the level of power her mental shield seems to have. It seems to have developed the ability to physically manifest itself." He looked thoughtful, his eyes darting from Bella then to me.

"What?"

He seemed confused for a moment when comprehension came over him. "Edward, look where you're standing."

I looked and my eyes widened. I was clear across the room-embedded in the wall.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713**


	9. Fortress

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Eight—Fortress**

* * *

I paced Carlisle's office as if I were a caged animal. In essence, I did feel like that. I felt that I was losing my mind while I replayed the events of the last few days; hell, the last few hours.

While I continued to wear a hole in Carlisle's office flooring, he was busy speaking with Chief Swan, Bella's father. I was aware of every word between them, so when he asked about me, I left to go to him—to Bella.

Carlisle had forced me out of Bella's room, minutes before Chief Swan had returned from calling her mother, Renee. I had become aggravated and worried about her health. I had insisted on more tests—anything to ensure her well-being. Though Carlisle was concerned for her, he felt I was overreacting and needed to calm down.

What did he know about how I felt? His wife was indestructible.

Whereas Bella could easily suffer any form of illness. I shuddered at the thought of the hundreds of communicable diseases in the hospital alone. Was I to spend the rest of Bella's life worrying of such things?

Immediately struck with the grief of losing her, normally, I would have at least sixty years with my fragile little human. That is, if she died of natural causes. Bella was anything but normal. Her ability to gravitate toward trouble was worrisome. She could die in an accident at any time. I cursed silently at the imagery and thought.

My steps slowed as I approached her room. Thankfully, Carlisle had the good sense to cover up the vampire-shaped hole in the wall with a well-placed screen and curtain. Emmett was already on the roof, creating _a leak_ to appear as if it caused the damage to the wall. Carlisle assured me that he would make a donation to cover the costs. It was the least of my troubles.

There was only one person that was foremost in my thoughts. Filling every waking moment of my existence since the day she stepped into our mutual classroom. Considering that, I no longer slept, that was a monumental amount of time. Would it always be this way?

"Here he is," Carlisle said as I entered Bella's room.

Though I felt their eyes on me, mine looked over Bella's prone form. She was so small and fragile in that bed, the unnatural and inefficient lighting cast ominous shadows across her features, making her look as if she already had one foot in the grave. Then again, she had that same foot in the grave since I first inhaled that rich, delicate scent of her blood.

"Hello, Father. Chief Swan," I said, giving Chief Swan a small grim smile. I held my hand for his and was surprised to find his thoughts sluggish. I had not noticed before. It was not as if he unintelligent, he was, but I felt like I had to push my way in to get a clearer picture. It was similar to Bella, just not as strong.

"I'm sorry we're not meeting under better circumstances, sir."

Chief Swan shook his head. "Call me, Charlie. I've been meaning to thank you since you saved my Bella weeks ago." His cheeks tinged, embarrassed by his slip.

"No need," I replied easily. "I did what anyone else would've done." However, had a human tried, her blood, and his own, would have spilled on the asphalt of the student parking lot. Charlie did not need to know that.

"Thank you all the same. This is the second time you saved her."

I smiled a bit this time. "Let's hope there isn't a third time."

Charlie grimaced. "I hope you're around when there is," he whispered to himself.

It seemed that I had gotten Charlie's approval—sort of. I would take what I could get, considering that when Bella awakened the following day, she may not remember me.

Charlie invited me to stay while he arranged for Bella's mother arrival the next morning. I also heard him arguing on the phone with someone from the nearby reservation, apparently someone called Billy refused to visit the hospital and even insisted that Bella transfer to another facility.

"I'm not about to risk my daughter just because you're a prejudice son-of-a-bitch, Billy. This is my baby girl you're talking about risking. You keep your opinions about her doctor to yourself."

Then Charlie promptly hung up. I could not help but smile. Later, I made my excuses to Charlie in the afternoon, playing the part of being hungry. I hated the idea of leaving her side for even a moment, but I knew Charlie would become suspicious.

While I pretended to head down to the cafeteria to get some dinner, I spent the time going through the many scenarios on how I would have spent the following day if I had been honest with Bella from the beginning.

For some reason, in most of my fantasies, Bella had not run when I told her what I was. Her inquisitive eyes only begged for answers. Emmett would have insisted that we would go hunting, but I was sure I would have taken her to my meadow instead.

I would allow her to see me in the sun, while secretly enjoying her as well. Under the sun, her hair would catch the light, highlighting the multitude of colors. Her skin would warm gloriously, tingeing the porcelain skin with color. The sun's warmth would have surrounded us, warming her blood, making it that much harder to resist.

However, I would have resisted. Her blood was not the only thing that sang a siren's song. Now knowing what lay beneath the ridiculous clothing, I would seek more.

I would touch her and skim my lips over every pulse point. The graceful arch of her neck, manacling her wrists long enough to savor her decadent scent there. I would run my hands along her legs, placing searing, wet kisses along the inside of her thigh.

Oh, to feel the life thrum under my lips, her musky scent of her arousal so close to my nose and mouth. I would indulge and satisfy a part of the beast, the part that wanted her body, a part of me that I would not deny if given the chance.

However, they were only fantasies.

Even though I told Charlie I was going down the hall, I chose to remain close to Bella. I waited in the next room, listening and needing the proximity to her. I heard and silently watched the flurry of activity of nurses and doctors coming and going. They each had solemn thoughts of her recovery. They were pissing me off.

I returned to the room an hour later with the purchase of Charlie's favorite from the local diner, thanks to Esme. He showed his appreciation with a smile and even thought that Billy was an idiot for having problems with my family—if he only knew. After he finished his dinner, we sat discussing the latest game and he listened to my impressive knowledge of baseball.

All the while, he never commented on my need to have my hand on Bella. Whether it was her arm, her knee, hand, or even elbow, he never questioned it. We both noticed the spike in Bella's heartbeat every time I touched her, remaining that way for a few minutes.

Was it fear or was it something else?

_Edward_, Alice thought as she entered the hospital. _I need to speak to you._

"Excuse me, Charlie," I said as I got to my feet. "I'm going to call it a night. I'll be back to check on her tomorrow afternoon."

Charlie turned down the volume of the TV and checked his watch. His eyes turned to Bella. "I'm going to head home and get some sleep. If she found out I spent the night, she'd have my head."

"I believe you," I said with a laugh. "She doesn't like people doing things for her."

Charlie shook his head and pain etched his face. "No, she doesn't." He choked back a sob and shifted toward Bella. He tucked some hair behind her ear. He thought briefly that he was happy that Carlisle was able to keep most of Bella's hair.

I was happy about that, too. I loved that dark contrasting color against her pale neck.

"Good night, sir," I said as I turned toward the door. I wanted to be sure that he understood I was not staying the night, even though I was.

"Edward," Charlie said before I got to the door. "Is—is there something between you and Bella?"

"I hoped there would be. We were just getting to know each other." It was not a complete lie. If she had not fallen, I was sure we would have had a chance to talk. Perhaps, if she had not gotten hurt we would be sitting in her tiny kitchen discussing our science project. Instead of this white, sterile room with infernal beeping machines.

Charlie scratched the back of his head, remembering how excited her mother had been about Bella's first and only date back home. I grumbled silently to myself—of course, she had a date before. I would be a fool to believe otherwise.

However, I could not help but feel resentful. Here I had been waiting for her for nearly a century, living a lonely existence without her. All the while, she spent an evening with pubescent boy as I suffered. A part of me wished to seek the little fucker out and squish his head until his ears bled.

"_Ewww",_ Alice thought and must have seen me contemplating searching for this boy.

"Oh, um, alright," Charlie said. "I figured it was something like that. It's just strange that Mike Newton keeps calling here to find out Bella's condition. He made it sound as if they were dating."

The silent internal grumble against the insignificant human that was Mike—raged. I contemplated at least ten thousand different ways that I would kill him. Some were quick and efficient and others he suffered for quite some time. Listening to the minds of all the filth I once hunted allowed me to pick up a few techniques on torture.

"No, sir," I replied through clenched teeth. "They're just friends."

"Good." Charlie was relieved that Mike and Bella were not dating, since he believed that Bella did not belong here in Forks. Mike was slotted to return home to his father's store. Charlie believed that his daughter was destined for more. He was right, of course.

Bella's future was bright and beautiful, too strong to keep contained within the walls of shadow and rain. She was not meant confinement and she would be if she became a vampire.

I bade Charlie another farewell and left Bella's hospital room. I hated that Alice was forcing me to leave Bella when I had only planned to make it look like I was leaving for Charlie's benefit.

"What is it?" I asked when I found her in the parking lot.

"The future is chaotic right now. Sometimes I get a flicker then it disappears just as quickly, changing. Other times, it disappears completely."

"Who's future disappears?"

Alice averted her eyes from mine, which was so unlike her. "Bella's."

"She's goin—she's going to die?" I groaned.

"No. At least, I don't think so. I think she'll get a few visitors."

My eyes snapped open to find her worried eyes. "Who?"

"I don't know," she replied thoughtfully. "But whoever it was doesn't visit while she's in the hospital, they visit when she returns home."

"The Quileutes'."

"That's what Jasper thinks." She showed me a vision of Charlie and me helping Bella inside her home, and then once we were inside, everything went black.

"There's something else, Edward." She looked pensive again as if what she had to tell me would change everything or nothing. I hated that damn look. "There are three vampires nearby, Jasper and Emmett tracked their scents near some of the campgrounds further north. They also came across another scent, and Emmett recognized it."

"He knows one of the vampires?" I asked but she immediately said no. "Wolf?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around her waist. She was not with our family when we first encountered the wolves, and I could understand her fear—she could not see them. "They're back. Jasper and Emmett think it's just one for now."

"Alright, as long as the other vampires are in the area, I intend to stay close."

"Peter and Charlotte are coming for a visit," she blurted out.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. Despite their general rule of not hunting in our area while they visited with Jasper, I could not trust them with Bella so close.

"Then you will understand that I will not be leaving her side," I spat.

"I understand," she whispered. "They wouldn't hurt her."

"I am not leaving her side, Alice." My tone told her that the discussion was over.

She nodded and handed me a USB flash drive. "What is this?"

"I downloaded all her journals. I saw that you planned doing it, so I thought I would save you the trouble. No wonder you wanted to get her a new computer. That thing is ancient."

"Thank you." I pocketed the drive and grimaced. "Do you think this is wrong? To read her thoughts," I asked.

"You're going to need them," she said softly. "If you knew the way she thinks, get to her know her, it'd make things easier for you."

"She is not going to remember me when she wakes up, is she?"

"I'm sorry, Edward."

That was what I was afraid of hearing.

The rest of the evening, I spent watching over Bella. Occasionally, a nurse would check her vitals, write them down, and leave. With each visit, I spent that time hiding behind a screened off area. The uninterrupted moments I spent trying to read her mind or enter it.

Not sure which since, I had never experienced anything like that. Carlisle was checking with some other vampires, including Eleazar, a family friend from Alaska, if any of them had heard of something similar to Bella's gift.

He assured me that Bella's identity would remain a secret, even using "research" as a reason for asking these questions. I did not like it, but we needed to know if whatever was happening to her was normal. Then again, I was sure no human had shown this level of potential.

Friday evening was soon becoming Saturday, and with it, partly cloudy skies. I would have to leave. I hated that the sun would keep me from her, I worried that she'd awaken while I was gone. Before my departure, I gave in to touching her again. I walked around her bed, my fingertips brushed along her arm. Some of the tiny hairs rose, since my touch was too cold. I watched as her breath caught and her soft lips parted. I wanted to believe she could feel and sense me. I stilled, taking the time to check the monitor. Her heart rate increased as I continued a path of ice to the palm of her hand.

I concentrated, trying to hear her thoughts, willing it to happen. I had never felt the barrier there before the accident. I just felt nothing. However, since her fall, I could feel an impenetrable force keeping me out. I focused on only her and nothing else.

The shield that protected her mind seemed like a dark wall. I pictured myself in front of it, punching and clawing to get inside. Every time my mental representation of myself made contact with the wall, it glowed red.

"You don't belong here," her voice said. A shape shimmered behind the black wall, rippling as if was made of water.

"I know."

The figure filled out, becoming more cohesive and real. She cocked her head to one side, watching me. She held up a finger against the now translucent wall.

"I know your face." She smiled and laid her hand now on the surface, tiny ripples lapped her hand.

"You do know my face." I held up my hand cautiously, wanting desperately to touch her.

"But I don't know you…you…you…" her voice echoed and resonated through the wall.

I shook my head and allowed my hand to touch where hers lay on the other side. The wall bellowed and tried to push me back, but I held firm. I widened my stance and planted my feet into the ground.

"When you wake, I will be there, Bella. I will answer all your questions, and if you still want me, I will stay with you."

The wall continued to swell, protest against my intrusion, when finally Bella disappeared behind the wall. I shook my head to dispel the pinpricks of pain and the sounds of the real world that started to return to me. I had come to realize that once immersed in her mind, it was as if the rest of the world faded away. With her hand in mine, I leaned down and placed a kiss on her soft lips.

"I will not lie to you anymore, I promise." Her heart raced at my words, but before I could say any more, I heard a nurse at the door, and before it opened, I was gone.

Night turned to dawn, forcing me to take to the shadows and trees outside of the hospital. I ran the perimeter and found nothing out of the ordinary. Alice had left my car in the lot, leaving me a note to take the time to hunt and to come home. She assured me that Bella would be fine. I was thankful that Esme was able to take care of my car so quickly.

I did not want to leave but the sun would soon filter through the windows of the hospital. I took my time getting home. I was not sure if I was taking my time because of Emmett's teasing of my relationship with what should technically be my food, or facing Jasper who had contemplated drinking from and killing Bella. Perhaps it was dealing with three perfectly matched couples.

Now more than ever, I found myself out of place. As if I did not belong, perhaps I never really had. Being alone never seemed an option, because the few times I ventured away from family had led to an incredible bout of loneliness.

My family loved me, and I them. I just wanted someone to love as each of them loved their mates.

I had always found the word _mate_ distasteful. Yet, there was no better word to explain the connection a vampire had with the one that was meant to be theirs. It was something found in nature, why not in vampires.

Had I found my mate in Bella? The one person I would not be able to be without—yes. She was mine and she would know it soon enough. Memory loss be damned.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713.**


	10. Liar

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Nine—Liar**

* * *

I made my way home after hunting in a hurry. I ignored and sidestepped Emmett as he tried to rush me in the foyer. I sent him a glare over my shoulder as I made my way to my room.

"Alice," Jasper said from downstairs, "—and Esme have been watching Bella since you left the hospital. Carlisle is hunting." I thanked him for informing me as I stripped my clothes to shower. Desperate to hurry, I used a bit too much force and tore my sweater as I pulled it over my head. I had been doing that more lately, and I wasn't sure why. I would have to let Carlisle as soon as I could. Maybe it was because my thoughts were so consumed by Bella; however, that made little sense. Vampires could think of many things at once.

The fortress.

Perhaps the time I'd spent trying to explore Bella's mind was somehow dulling my senses. If that were the case, I'd have to reconsider telling Carlisle. If I told him, he'd forbid me to enter her mind again. That was something I'd never be able to stop myself from doing. I needed to know everything about her, and that meant knowing her thoughts.

I showered quickly and found something suitable to wear. I ran through all my memories of Bella since I first laid eyes on her; unbidden thoughts replayed the moments that I'd seen her beautiful breasts. I groaned as my body reacted accordingly.

"Edward," Emmett said in a sing-song voice from the living room downstairs. "You're supposed to take care of that while showering. Easy cleanup."

My anger at his taunting flared up in an instant. I was downstairs before he could finish his first round of laughter. I pushed him against the wall, snarling in his face. "I don't enjoy you making fun of me," I growled. "I'm in no mood to deal with your childish antics." He pushed me off him, settling into a defensive crouch. "How would you like it if Rosalie suddenly forgot who you were?"

I ran out the front door, without even opening it. "What the hell was that?" Emmett said softly as I ran. "Jasper, why didn't do your Jedi fucking trick?"

"I did," Jasper said gravely. "It didn't work." I stilled.

What the hell was going on with me?

~oOo~

Once I made it to the forest that edged the northwest side of the hospital, I paced and watched from various minds for anyone that'd been in Bella's room. From the sound of her heart, she seemed to be all right, sleeping. I knew that in a few hours, the sun would only allow me one hour of reprieve as it hid behind a bank of clouds coming from the east. Alice had warned me to use it wisely, but refused to elaborate. She also warned me to remain calm and that she was sending Carlisle to help as a precaution.

"Will I be a danger to her?" I asked, wanting to know why she was warning me.

"No," she said, more for Esme's benefit. She looked worried; my mother figure feared what would happen to me if I lost Bella. I averted my eyes from hers, because I knew—I'd die without her.

"Then what's the problem?" I asked.

"Her visitor," Alice said softly. "Just try to let things happen naturally, and I promise it'll be fine. Don't interfere." Damn it, I really hated when she refused to show me my future, especially when Bella could be in danger.

"When will she wake up?"

"In another hour or so," Alice replied, as my mother gave me a promising smile. "But only for a few minutes. Then a couple of hours later, sometime before noon."

"Thank you," I said. "For watching her while I was gone."

"We protect our own," Esme said softly. "She's who you want and love, so she'll be protected from anything that threatens her."

"Even if it's me," I whispered. I felt her arm on my shoulder, her mind once filled with her love and concern for me.

"You'd never hurt her," she said. "Not ever."

"You don't know that," I murmured. "I don't want to, but it seems inevitable."

"Does that mean you'll change her if she chooses so?"

I shook my head. "She may not want me."

"My son," she said softly. "I may be biased, but your one of the most generous men I've ever known. You have a beautiful soul."

"I don't think I do," I muttered. I hated whenever a conversation reverted to this old argument.

Are we soulless?

"I know you believe that you don't," she said as she took a step back. "However, if you don't have a soul, how is that you love that girl with all that you are?"

With her words said, she was gone, Alice right behind her.

How indeed?

~oOo~

Time seemed to slow considerably when the one you loved was separated from you by sunshine and sleep. Every time a doctor or nurse checked in on Bella, I found myself studying her from their eyes. Their minds. They all thought she was beautiful. The nurse that had Bella in her rotation during her shift admired her porcelain skin. She had no idea how delicate Bella was, how breakable.

I stared at my hands, fearing them more than my own thirst. I could kill her with a flick of my finger. Bruise her with the slightest force of my thumb. Mar that china doll skin. It was something I would never allow; yet, I knew that I was lying to myself.

If she allowed me the pleasure of being with her, I would hold her. I wouldn't able to help myself. Only hold her, I told myself. Though it was unfair to her; any other _boy_ would be able to give her so much more.

I heard the snap of the Cyprus under my hand snap from the strength I inflicted on it. The mere thought of another male touching her had me losing myself to my instincts. In this case, marking and making her mine. To make that claim, I'd have to make sure she was covered in my scent.

Then all males would know she was taken. _Mine._

I was brought out of my thoughts when a pleasant little gray-haired nurse had stopped by to take Bella's vitals when her eyelashes started to flutter. I gasped where I was perched in a tree, wishing I could see those brown eyes focus on me. Her eyes opened slowly, confusion or perhaps the lighting caused them to snap closed. The nurse immediately dimmed the lights and called the nurses station for the doctor.

Bella's voice was raspy as her eyes try to focus on something. "R-re-d-d w-wall." As tears began glistening in Bella's eyes, the nurse took her hand in her own. Why was she crying? I ached to hear her thoughts again, but from the distance of where I sat, I couldn't attempt to penetrate the red wall. The _red wall_. I listened to Bella's incoherent words. "Man at the red wall."

"There, there, sweetie," the nurse said softly. "Your dad is on the way and so is the doctor."

"I know him," Bella said softly as her eyes drifted close.

I exhaled harshly, hardly aware that I had been holding my breath since her eyes started to open. I needed to find a way back into her room soon. I inhaled deeply, her scent nowhere near as pungent when she was so far from me. It was both a blessing and a curse.

A doctor assessed her, a nurse changed her dressing, and I cringed at the sight of burred holes in the sides of her head. The mere thought of her in pain had the blood in my stomach churning. She would wake up in pain; there was no doubt about that.

However, she would awaken.

An hour later, her father spoke with her doctor, discussing about others possibly visiting. Bella's mother was arriving in the next hour, but made it clear until Bella was feeling better that no one besides them and myself were allowed to visit.

I couldn't help but smile, and I decided that the Forks Police Department was in desperate need of a sizable donation. I watched through the eyes of the Chief as he walked into Bella's room. His eyes met his daughter's wide ones.

"Hi," she whispered, alert and confused. "Um, how did I get here?"

Her father sighed deeply, trying to remain his composure. Inside his mind, Chief Swan was on his knees in tears in gratitude. He cleared his throat to dislodge the lump there. He walked over to her, not a word left his lips as he looked at her. His hands instinctively reached for hers, instantly making her more anxious. Her heart rate increased as her eyes widened.

"Hi. Do you know who I am?" he asked, his expression somewhat fearful.

She rolled her eyes, wincing as if it hurt to do so. "Char—Dad, of course I know who you are."

Charlie cleared his throat again and smiled. "You had an accident at school, bumped your head."

Bella reached up, touching the bandage on her head. "How bad is it?"

"You'll be fine now," he said assuredly. "Probably the worst head injury you've ever endured."

"Oh," she said softly, her brow scrunching. "I started school already?"

Charlie looked confused. "Yes, a little over two months ago."

She shook her head, her heart raced. "No. I just got here."

"Bella, sweetheart," he said, handing her a cell phone. "Do you remember the phone your mom got us?" Bella shook her head as she attacked her bottom lip with her teeth. Tears slowly fell from her eyes. "It's all right if you don't remember. Nothing exciting has happened since you came back."

"But I don't remember anyone," she rasped. "I have to start all over again."

"You mentioned a few people."

She looked up at him, the desperation for information clearly written all over her face. "Tell me."

"You mentioned Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber you said they were nice. Let's see, you asked about the Cullens. I know you're friends with the youngest one, Edward."

"Oh," she said, blushing. "You mean friends…or _friends?"_

Charlie blushed and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "I think you two were working on being more than friends."

She nodded and then shook her head. "Anyone else?"

"Mike Newton keeps calling," Charlie mumbled.

"I don't recognize any of those names," she said with a sigh.

"The doctor said it could be temporary, the memory loss."

"Does Mom know?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"Um, yeah," he said gruffly. "She'll be here soon."

"Oh, Dad," she said, closing her eyes.

"You could've died, Bella," he said in a hoarse whisper. Bella's eyes snapped back to his. "If it wasn't for that Cullen kid…twice he's saved you."

"Twice," she squeaked. "I've been saved twice." Her eyes seemed to become impossibly wider, softening when she looked up at her father. "Here I thought Forks would be boring and be like running around in a bubble wrapped town." Her tone was teasing, and I knew she was only doing it to alleviate her father's worries.

"You'd bump into an exceptionally large bubble and dislocate a shoulder," he teased. Her eyes flared for an instant before it disappeared just as quickly.

"Yeah," she said with an overdramatic sigh. "Or likely break an ankle."

In Charlie's mind, his only retort was, _not as long as Edward was around._

I smiled.

~oOo~

It was nearing the time where I'd have almost a full hour of sun-free time. Bella's mother had arrived, and I found her mind fascinating. It was somewhat similar to a child's, yet the quick fire way she made choices and observed things led me to believe that she was smarter than she made others believe. Or perhaps her inability to focus on one thing hadn't allowed her to show it.

Bella had fallen asleep after more pain medication was administered through her IV shortly before noon. Her parents decided to have lunch at the diner after Bella insisted that they get something decent to eat.

Since I wanted to spend every sun-free moment by her side, I made my way into the hospital. I dodged windows, rays of sunlight and wandering eyes when I finally found an empty room down the hall from Bella.

That's when I heard him, or his thoughts.

_It's a good thing Ms. Cope loves to gossip. Bella is in here with no memory of the past few months. I have to make sure she sees me first and with the Cullens away camping, now's my chance._

I growled, my fists clenched at my sides as I contemplated thousands of different ways to kill Mike Newton. However, I couldn't because the blinds in Bella's room were wide open, long stretches of sunlight were filling the room.

As I watched through his eyes, he stopped just outside the door, aware that a nurse was in the room with her. There was concern underneath his vile thoughts of Bella. She appeared small and frail in her hospital bed to him, pale and sick. His eyes took in the bandages around her head and wondered how much of her hair had been cut off.

Shallow, asshole. When the nurse left, he sneaked inside the room. Then he touched her.

The wall beside where I stood crumbled to dust as I watched from his eyes. His fingers lingered on her cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin. A low growl left me, Alice's words of advice about Bella's visitor made sense. Was I supposed to allow that boy touch her? Touch her without her consent?

Bella's eyes opened for a mere moment, closing again. It happened several more times before they remained half-lidded, her gaze fixed on Mike.

"Hi," she rasped slowly.

"Hi, Bella," Mike murmured, smiling it seemed.

"I—I," Bella said with a shake of her head.

"It's all right," Mike said softly as he took her hand. She seemed alarmed by the gesture but Mike eased the tension by rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "They told me you may have lost your memory."

Bella nodded slowly, still watching him. Confusion was so clear in her eyes, so was the pain. It hurt to talk, to think, or even to focus on a face. I wished I could take it all away, bear it for her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't remember."

The smile on his face, reflected in Bella's eyes, was a simple one. His thoughts were celebrating the fact that he could give her a new first impression. One he was hoping would get her to go out with him, perhaps even convince her that they'd already been seeing each other.

"It will take some time," he said softly. "We can even make new memories.

"Oh," she said, blushing again. "Did we—have we been—" she trailed off, refusing to continue. However, Mike's smile widened.

"Something like that," he said.

"I—you," she started and shook her head. She took her hand from his and clutched her head. "I don't remember, but—"

"You'll remember," he murmured, touching her face again. Another growl rumbled through me, and this time a hospital bed bent under my hands.

"I remember my dad, my mom but there's no one else I remember here."

Mike nodded and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. She moved slightly away from him, but that didn't seem to discourage him.

"I do remember one person's face," she said softly, mostly to herself.

"Oh," Mike said, concerned that it was me.

"He looks angry in my mind though," she said thoughtfully.

Mike hissed in his thoughts, attempting to find a way to change the direction in which her mind seemed to go.

"That would be Cullen. The first day you arrived, he glared at you all through Biology."

It wasn't a lie, but the disappointment in her face was clear. It wasn't something she wanted to hear. "Oh."

"Yeah, he even disappeared for like a week after he saw you. He's just weird. I wouldn't let him get to you."

"I don't remember him. I just remember his dark eyes."

"He's a freak. Don't worry yourself about him."

Bella's eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded him. "Can you tell me about my other friends?"

Mike nodded and took the chair beside her. He tried to take her hand again, but she had moved it just in time to avoid it. I internally cheered, because it seemed that she didn't trust Mike. I listened to him as he told Bella about their mutual friends. He seemed to have forgotten to mention that he had a date with Jessica.

I heard Charlie and Renee approaching the room a few minutes later. Mike was discussing the beach and that he hoped he could take her there. Once again, he tried to take her hand in his, this time he succeeded. She watched as he brought her fingers to his lips.

"When you're feeling better and they spring you," Mike said with a smirk. I wanted to throttle him. "We'll have that dinner that I promised you last week."

Bella's eyes widened, but before she could've said anything, Charlie cleared his throat as he stood by the door. "How did you get in here, son?" he asked, his tone firm with a hint of an edge to it. His eyes lingered on Mike and Bella's intertwined hands.

Mike released Bella's hand and gave Charlie a timid smile. "I was just telling Bella about our mutual friends."

"I asked how you got in here." Charlie stepped toward them and Mike swallowed from fear.

"I snuck in, sir," Mike said.

"Why would you do that?"

"I wanted to see Bella," he said, though it sounded more like a question than fact.

Charlie nodded and his eyes were still on Mike. "Bella did mention that you were a good buddy."

Mike winced at the description, and I internally gloated. "Did you tell Bella about your date with Jessica for the dance?" Charlie asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Mike visibly winced and turned toward Bella. She was glaring. At least she knew that Mike was a liar.

_I think it's time Charlie got a new cruiser._

~oOo~

After Charlie _and_ Bella promptly kicked Mike out of her room, it was just after three in the afternoon and time for me to make an appearance. Carlisle and Alice had arrived minutes before to take care of the excessive force I'd used on hospital equipment. Luckily, none chose to comment on my inability to control all of my temper.

If Bella didn't leave the hospital soon, I was positive that I'd soon be adding a whole wing to make up for all the damages I was inflicting. I waited impatiently, as if I were a pacing lion recently put into captivity, for the sun to disappear behind a bank of grey clouds. What was only minutes felt like days.

I needed to see her with my own eyes, take in her scent and taste it on my tongue. I couldn't do any of those things with walls between us. Finally, when I could see the sunlight dim outside I was free. I snuck out of the room, made my way to the front of the building, and walked past the nurses' station near Bella's room.

I heard the soft unspoken fascination of my looks from a few nurses as I passed. They were old enough to my mother, if I was really only seventeen years old. In this case, I was old enough to be their grandfather.

I laughed at the thought.

I inhaled deeply, Bella's scent wafted around the door that led to her room. As every time before, I was hit with the delicate, decadent scent that made my mouth water instantly, and cause my body to react accordingly. Well, not really. Naturally, as she was my prey, my body would tense and prepare itself to attack, to feed. Not anymore. There was still an underlying violence that still ran through me, and perhaps it would always be there. However, my body reacted like a damn teenage, hormonal boy.

With another breath and my predicament hidden under my jacket, I entered her room. Charlie immediately turned, his lips twitched into a smile. It quickly disappeared though, his thoughts clearly indicating that he still wanted to instill fear in me. I barely managed to keep the laugh from escaping.

When Renee's eyes met mine, they widened in much the same way Bella's always had. They were a clear water blue and glistening with tears. She launched herself at me. Luckily, I saw it about to happen and braced myself for the impact. Allowing my body to pretend that it was just a bit much and take a step back to balance myself. It wasn't needed of course, but I was sure to cause suspicion if I hadn't.

"You saved her twice," she murmured as she pulled away. Charlie looked a little chagrined behind her as he sent me a small smile.

"Sorry," he said. "I told her about the accident with the van and how you brought her here."

Renee nodded, her eyes still bright and wide as she looked at me. "The doctor said if you hadn't had brought her in when you did that she would've died from her injury."

I shook my head and gave her a small smile. "I was just doing what anyone else would've done."

Charlie huffed and rolled his eyes. "Not likely, from what I gathered from witnesses. That _friend_ of hers, Mike, ran out because of a little water."

I grinned. "Perhaps you're right."

"I know you," a whisper said so softly from the hospital bed.

Our eyes met and I smiled gently. "You do."

She shook her head. "No. I know your face, your voice but I don't know you."

My smile fell, but I walked closer to her. I looked for the natural inclination of fear that usually swept through a human when we first encountered them, but found none. Her eyes were wide, alert even, as her parents excused themselves to grab something to drink downstairs.

Her lips twitched slightly as I neared her bed. "I don't think I like you very much," she murmured.

"Is that what you think?"

She shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I'm feeling or thinking when I see you."

"That's a first."

She cocked her head to one side, wincing only slightly. "What's a first?"

"Telling me what you feel and think."

She cocked an eyebrow. "For some reason, it seems neutral."

My lips twitched at the corners into an apologetic smile. "Perhaps."

Her eyes narrowed. "Considering that I don't remember, I hope that will change."

My smile widened. "I think I can handle that."

She exhaled deeply. "Oh good. I thought for a moment you'd be difficult."

I chuckled, because she had no idea. "Tell me, has anyone else visited you since you awoken?"

She scowled. "Yes. Some boy," she spat. "He tried to lie to me, though I have no idea why!"

I smiled again, shaking my head. "You don't see yourself clearly, do you?"

She looked back at me, a small frown on her face. "My mom won't give me a mirror."

"Oh."

"I must look horrid," she said softly.

I took the last step I could, my body touching the frame of her bed. "You look a little pale," I murmured, giving into the need to touch her. I swept the back of my hand over the soft skin of her cheek. "I'm used to seeing…" I smiled when the skin warmed beneath my fingers. "There it is."

"Do I do that often when you're around?" she asked, blushing more.

"Yes, you have no idea how much it pains me."

Her brown eyes swept over my face, lingered on my lips. "Why would my blushing 'pain you?'"

I smiled grimly. I promised I wouldn't lie. "Because it makes me want you more."

"Oh."

"Is that all you have to say to my confession?" I gave her a teasing smile, one that had her shivering under my touch. My fingers brushed along her jaw and cradled her cheek, feeling the silkiness of her hair.

She shrugged and looked away. "I don't like the idea that I may have forgotten my first kiss."

"From what I know of you," I said softly. "You haven't experienced your first kiss."

Her eyes snapped back to mine. "You mean, you and I haven't."

I shook my head. "Not yet."

She smiled and blushed again. I really enjoyed seeing the color rise in her cheeks, because of me. "Can you tell me about the red wall?"

My eyes widened in surprise. She remembered.

I shook my head. "I don't—"

"Please don't lie to me," she said firmly. "It's bad enough that I don't remember the last three months of my life, but to have you lie would just confuse me more."

"I don't know how to explain it to you," I said cautiously, letting my hand fall away. Before I could get too far, she took it in both of hers.

"Try," she urged.

I sighed; I had to tell her what I knew. "It's your defense, from what I can tell. At least, the mental representation of it."

"I've seen you outside of it, trying to get in." I could see the confusion in her face, in her eyes as she nervously played with my fingers. I tried to concentrate on her words, but the feeling of her hand around mine was too much.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"Is it a dream?"

"In a way, yes. But in others, no. It's just what it looks like in your mind. Your wall is up when I try to read your mind."

"You can read minds?"

I smiled. "Everyone's, except yours."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So you don't know what I'm thinking right now?" Her eyes once again lingered on my lips.

I smirked. "No, but I can guess."

Her eyes widened and she blushed, but ignored my statement. "What happens if you're inside the wall?"

"I don't know," I said softly. "It's never happened."

She smiled. "You've been inside it for the past thirty seconds, Edward."

I listened around me and realized that though I heard audible voices, I no longer heard thoughts. I looked back at Bella, and her eyes were alit with mischief.

She smiled brightly. _Hello._

**

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AN: betaed by: kyla713. Sorry for the delay on this, life has just been chaotic and of course I have over extended myself. So many projects. Off to work on something else.**


	11. Sanctuary

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Ten – Sanctuary**

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**AN: It's been a while since I've updated this, mostly because I've been so busy with all my other fics. However, lately it's been wanting my attention. Since it's been a while, here's a brief summary.**

**The story starts out from the cafeteria scene in the movie (you know the apple catching scene) where Edward tells Bella that he wouldn't tell Bella the truth, she chose, in my story, to walk away. Edward spent a night processing what happened and is unable to stay away from her. At one point he reads her computer journal entries, watches her sleep, kisses her once. Watched her change tops since he'd been hiding in the closet, so he saw her breasts. Naughty Edward liked it. Bella had attempted a few more times to get him to talk to her, to tell her the truth. He still wouldn't. **

**So Edward was forced to try to spend more time with her. He orchestrated to have Mr. Banner have a science fair and students be paired off. The problem was that all the boys wanted Bella as a partner (winners each get a laptop). Edward wanted to make sure that he'd be the one to ask first so he made sure Mike and the others never had a chance. But Mike was determined. So Jasper forced Mike to be so horny that Mike had to take care of business in the boy's bathroom. Everyone heard about it. Later, Mike tried to hand Bella an apple and she freaked, backing away. She slipped on something, hit her head on the corner of a steal countertop. **

**Before anyone would suspect something because of the Cullen's odd behavior (Jasper trying to get to Bella, Emmett, Alice and Rosalie holding him back), someone (Rosalie) turned the sprinklers on, causing all the kids to run screaming from the cafeteria. Except for Angela, Edward and Bella since she's hurt. Edward takes Bella to the hospital where she was operated on immediately. She suffered a major head injury, bad enough that they had to drill holes in her skull.**

**The Quileute's freaked out because she's there in Carlisle's hospital, Charlie told them to fuck off, nicely though. Charlie likes Edward, since he'd saved his Bella twice. While Edward watched over Bella in her hospital room, Edward discovers that Bella's shield has changed or more like its visible when he tried to read her thoughts. **

**A red wall now protects her thoughts, and if Edward pushes too much he is forced out, enough that it creates a physical effect as well. Once it threw Edward across the room. Also when he's in her mind, he hears and detects nothing. In her mind, they can talk to each other.**

**When she wakes up, Bella has no memory of her life in Forks. Mike tried to make another first impression, only to get in trouble with Charlie and Bella when they figure out he's lying. **

**When Bella finally sees Edward she knows his face, but doesn't know him. Bella does remember the times that Edward was in her mind. We last left Bella and Edward in her hospital room, Edward was in her mind unknowingly, within the red wall. She was able to talk to him telepathically. Something like that.**

**Enjoy. **

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**Edward**

I gasped as I became aware – or more like unaware – of my surroundings. Whenever I'd forced myself to stop breathing, it was wholly uncomfortable to function without the sense of smell. Instinct had always clawed at me every time I had to do it. However, to find all the voices, the murmurs of the minds that surrounded me, gone, left me breathless.

I watched Bella's smile widen further. _You like it in here. _I nodded, both in thought and in reality. It almost felt as if I was in two places at once.

"I can't hear the voices," I murmured, swaying and having to grab hold of the bed railing. The tenor of her mind had me basking, almost intoxicated with the thoughts. To see myself through her eyes was unforgettable and everything my family waxed poetic of their own mates. "I can hear yours, though." There was something in her thoughts, besides her attraction to me.

_You don't have to talk out loud. As long as you're inside the red wall, I can hear your thoughts as well._

Instantly, I launched myself several feet from the bed, the rush of voices intruding once again. I hissed and closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to witness the disappointment in her features. "That's not a good idea," I said, pausing to catch my breath.

"You're hiding something from me," she said; the hurt was so clear in her voice.

"I've just confessed to reading minds," I said as I walked toward the bed again. "You'd think that would be enough for one day."

She scowled and glared for a moment, before her lips twitched to a smile. "I confessed the ability to establish links between minds." She was looking for a way to continue having me answer more of her questions. How was it that humans said it, "tit for tat?"

"This has worked with others?" I asked, suddenly curious.

She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "My buddy," she said with distaste, "Mike was within the wall but he had no clue. I couldn't read him as clearly as I read you."

"What did you see?" I took her hand, needing to be as close as possible.

"Only that you thought I wasn't ready to know the truth?"

"You're right," I replied. "You're not ready to know yet."

She nodded. "Will you tell me?"

"Eventually."

She yawned. "You know I think my father likes you."

I grinned. "Yes, I believe you're right."

Her brown eyes met mine, and then peered down to our intertwined hands. "Biology," she whispered after a minute of silence.

I bent my head down, enough to catch her gaze again. "That's the one class we shared, at first."

"At first?" she asked.

"I had most of my classes switched around."

"Oh," she said, sounding disappointed. "We don't share a class anymore?"

I smiled. "We share all but two classes together." Confusion had her brows furrowing, a little crease forming between her eyebrows. My finger caressed the area lightly, causing her to gasp softly, her eyes closing. "Do you feel it?"

She nodded and her head lolled to one side, before looking up at me through dark lashes. "I don't understand it."

"The same thing happened the first time we touched," I replied. "I don't understand either, only that I don't want to stop." Her fingers clasped in my hand, stretched and twisted enough to intertwine with my own.

"I don't either."

"Good to know," I said softly. When she yawned, I tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "You need to rest."

She nodded solemnly, as if she didn't want to sleep. "I don't really want to," she whispered.

"Perhaps you'll have a good dream," I said, continuing to stroke her hair. "I know that I'd dream of you."

She smiled shyly, blushing. "Will you come here again, to see me?"

I would be close for the rest of the evening, but she didn't need to know that. "Of course."

Her eyes drooped. "Yes, I think I will dream of you tonight." I smiled at her confession, and there was a chance she hadn't meant to voice it. "Good night, Edward."

"Good night, Bella," I said in return. I watched as sleep took over, her lashes fluttering over the skin under her dark eyes. She fought it, her sleep, for several minutes.

"You've been in my room," she said just as her eyes closed. Apparently, Bella could not only link people's minds with hers, but there was something else. I hadn't been specifically thinking about the times I'd watched her sleep while I'd been inside the red wall that protected her mind.

Could she read everything?

Maybe it was taking longer for her to process the information that she'd seen. It would explain how she knew we had Biology together, unless that had been a memory of her own that surfaced. Once again, I tried to penetrate her thoughts, only to find the wall had thickened. Though I had tried to call out for her, she never answered.

Her head injury may have caused the red wall that kept me from her thoughts before to weaken. However, once she'd become aware of her ability, the wall regained its original strength. For a moment, I allowed myself to think of what this ability would translate to if she'd become a vampire. No matter how I loathed the idea of taking her life, I knew she'd be formidable.

I remained with her until her parents returned. Though I wanted to stay there beside her, holding her hand, I knew I couldn't remain there. Renee tried to get me to stay, regaling about some of Bella's previous accidents. Bella's inability to walk in a straight line on a flat surface, without falling, had apparently begun in her childhood.

As she proceeded to tell me about Bella's attempt at ballet, I involuntary shuddered at the thought of all the times she could've died. Some of her little accidents, as Renee called them, could've been much worse. She would've never found me. I might have walked this earth alone for all eternity.

I vowed then, always to catch her when she'd fall.

"I really must be going," I said as I stood. Bella's fingers, stiff from holding onto my cold-lifeless hand tightened around me. _Did she hear me?_ "I'm afraid I've missed dinner."

"Oh," Renee said and shook her head. "Well, we shouldn't keep you then. Will we be seeing you again?"

"Yes," I replied. "Tomorrow, after school."

Charlie sighed. "They said she'd be here for a while." He scratched his head. "Renee has to return to work soon."

Renee nodded, frowning. "She's going to be okay, right?" She laid a hand on Charlie's shoulder. He nodded and grasped her hand.

"At most, I can stay a few more days," she said to us. "I had hoped she'd be able to return home by then. I don't think that's going to happen, though."

"I'm afraid not," I said softly, to soothe her and Charlie's nerves. "She's recovering from a serious injury. Tomorrow, they'll attempt to get her out of bed, see if her injury has affected her ability to move around." Charlie's eyes widened in fear. "She's been responding to stimuli so I don't anticipate a problem."

"I see you've learned a lot from your father," Renee pointed out. I nodded and smiled. Charlie was hoping that I'd consider becoming a doctor myself. Though I have put myself through medical school to a certain level many times before, this time I'd follow Bella's chosen curriculum.

_What a fool I am. For me to be already planning my future, when where her heart lies is still so uncertain. First, I have to see if she wants me. _

"I better be off before he comes looking for me," I said and turned my attention back to Bella, her hand still tucked in my own. Slowly, so not to startle her, I brought her hand to my lips. I tried to inhale discreetly, and it seemed that I had, since neither of her parents heard what I'd done. I pressed my cold, unyielding lips against her soft, warm skin.

She sighed. Behind me, both Charlie and Renee realized that Bella had to be aware of my presence. "See you tomorrow," I whispered. My fingers flexed, but so did hers. Renee laughed as she stepped beside me.

"Seems like she doesn't want to let you go," she said, smiling.

I returned her smile with one of my own. "It would seem so," I replied. _If only she were sure while she was conscious. _

Renee had to ply Bella's fingers from my hand; internally, she wondered why my skin was so cold. They all did. With my goodbyes and a promise to return tomorrow, I turned toward the exit. Before I reached the door, Charlie called out for me.

"Son," he said. "If you can work it out, with school and your parents, would you like to sit with Bella when Renee and I return to work soon?"

"I'm sure something can be arranged," I said. I left soon after. Well, as least they believed it to be true. Once I was sure that Charlie was no longer watching, I doubled-back and used another entrance.

It'd been the first night in quite a while that I couldn't be in the same room with Bella. It left me restless and irritable. The following morning, I returned home, changed and started the routine all over again. Except this time, I was asked to attend school instead of the hospital.

"Out of the question," I hissed at Carlisle. "I don't care what those animals ask of us, I will not be separated from her."

"I understand how you must feel," he said warily. "However, we can not risk the treaty at this point. They are merely asking that you stay away from her until she can return home."

"They would not violate the treaty unless there is a reason," I said. "I have given them none."

"You're always there now," he replied. "They see that as a threat."

"She's still alive!"

"Thanks to you," Carlisle said as he walked out from behind his desk in our home. "They're nervous, much more than ever before. One of them has already been through the transformation and two more have fallen with a fever."

"How do you know this?" I asked, jumping to my feet. The information led me to believe that I could never leave Bella unprotected. Not if those hounds were sniffing around.

"It was the Alpha's way of instilling fear, I'm afraid."

"You have to tell them that I can not comply," I said firmly. "Bella's parents have asked that I stay with her once they return to work."

Carlisle sighed and nodded. "I was afraid of that. Despite the fact that Bella is recovering remarkably fast, it'll be at least a week before I'd be able to discharge her."

"They have to work," I said with a shrug. Bella wouldn't want her parents to forget their responsibilities because of her. "That's settled then, I should be off."

"Edward," he said. "This is far from settled. Go to school, make the appearance, make arrangements for your and Bella's school work and then you can go to the hospital." I glared, and again, I remembered that a simple night of not being with Bella had left me miserable. "That was not a request." I nodded and left before I said something that I would never forgive myself for.

My siblings had all left for school and Jasper had chosen to take a solitary hunting trip. He was still unable to come to grips at how close it had been for him. I was still unable to fathom that if he had relapsed in the cafeteria that day, I would have killed him if he had hurt her.

She was mine. If I could not drink her blood, no one would.

Once arrangements were made with the school, Bella's parents, and Esme, I managed to make it to lunch period. I found the others sitting in our usual place, away from everyone else. I made my way through the lunch line, placing an apple on my tray and nothing else.

I wasn't up for theatrics, it seemed. Jessica and Lauren watched as I walked toward my siblings. They both wondered about the events that led to me to save Bella again, wondering why I cared. Vile thoughts that I promised myself to save Bella from once she returned to school. I wanted to roll my eyes but refrained.

Angela Weber, however, was another story. She had seen me move across the cafeteria in seconds and even started to wonder about the accident with the van. Stilling, I turned toward her and smiled. Lauren and Jessica gasped while Angela looked wary.

Keeping my smile from showing too many teeth, I walked toward their table. "Angela," I said. "Do you have a moment?"

Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat before racing. Slowly, her eyes became unfocused and she nodded. If only Bella would fall under my spell as easily. I gestured to an almost empty table behind me. Once I had, of course, Ben Cheney and Lawrence McCall scattered.

She joined me at the table after a few moments of indecision, twice looking at my family. She feared that they would join us. Alice assured me that they wouldn't with a simple shake of her head. "Hello, Edward," Angela whispered, clearing her throat. "Was there something you needed?"

I smiled, again causing her eyes to glaze over. "I wanted to thank you for all that you tried to do for Bella that day," I said softly, patting her hand gently. The friction of wiping my hands over my jeans over my thigh several times had warmed them; it was best not to alarm her with my cold skin. "You were the only friend that stayed behind."

"You did, too," she said warily. Before her thoughts had a chance to dwell on how fast I appeared by them, I countered.

I shook my head and frowned. "It was utter chaos for a couple of minutes," I whispered gravely. _Oh, he sounds so sad. _I internally smiled. "I feared what would've happened if I had not found you two among all the screaming and running people."

"It had happened pretty fast," she said, her brows furrowing. This time, as she remembered, her thoughts were seeing all the running people, the water that fell on them, all distractions. Things that would make time seem to speed up.

"I'm going to go see her again today," I said. "I know she would appreciate seeing a few friendly faces."

She frowned. "I heard that she forgot us."

I nodded. "She has, but she's willing to try and remember. Right now, she needs people that are nice and would not cause her anymore stress."

_Like Mike, idiot, _Angela thought. "I'll see if I can see her before dinner," she replied. "I promise not to upset her." I smiled then, because no matter Angela's suspicions, she wouldn't do anything to hurt Bella.

"Thank you," I said. "I'll let you finish your lunch." I looked at my meager meal and sighed. "I'm not very hungry myself."

_Oh, he's so upset about Bella getting hurt that he can't even eat. He cares so much about her._

We said our goodbyes, and I grabbed my apple to throw off further suspicions and took a bite. I walked past my family out to the hallway. I found Bella's locker easily, and took all her books and papers to my car. I spent the rest of the day gathering assignments and arranged to have Bell as my science project partner with Mr. Banner.

I left early, to find someone leaning against my car. "Jasper," I said. "You don't have to apologize. I had not seen in your mind, since I was preoccupied."

"Do not doubt that I would have killed her," he said firmly. I nodded. _As I don't doubt you would have kill me if I had._ Again, I nodded.

"Does Alice know?" he asked.

"No."

"She doesn't have to," he replied. "From now on, I will do what I can to protect Bella as you would."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"I know the wolves are involved," he said, gesturing toward a cropping of trees. "We're being watched."

"Answer silently from now on," I hissed, looking amongst the trees. "How many?"

_Two humans and one wolf. _

I sniffed the air that surrounded us. "One is older, a friend of Charlie's."

_You should know that Alice still sees Charlotte and Peter arriving soon and some unexpected visitors are hunting and coming in this direction._

"Bella will have to be watched at all times," I said, immediately tensing at the thought that she was alone.

_Relax, Esme and Carlisle are with her. You don't have to worry about Peter and Charlotte._

"Her blood is very appealing," I said firmly. "You cannot be sure of that."

He nodded, deciding it was best not to argue. _I'll check the area surrounding the hospital and see what I can find of our unexpected visitors. _ I nodded.

"Be careful," I said, hearing Alice's voice from within the school. "Alice said she'd meet you by the gym."

Jasper rolled his eyes and smiled. "Of course, she knows my plans." He clasped my shoulder and looked me in the eye. _I'm worried about you, your emotions are bordering on obsession._

I sighed. "I'll take that under advisement," I growled. I threw Bella's school supplies into the passenger seat of my car and left seconds later.

Obsession and love, how fine was the line between them?

**

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AN: Thanks to kyla713 for your help with this chapter. Next, we have Edward and Bella getting to know each other, and Bella's return home. Stay tuned.**


	12. Hands

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Eleven – Hands**

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Though I was positive that I would never hurt Bella _intentionally_, a part of me always would want to. A part that wanted to sate its thirst on her blood, but I had to believe that I would overcome that desire. I was wretchedly in love with the poor girl, after all. Normally, a person would think that would keep a person safe.

It had been almost a century since my change, and no part of this existence had been normal for me. The reason for my change, for example; it was my mother's dying wish, a whispered plea to her doctor on her deathbed. Another example was upon awakening; I heard the thoughts of my creator and had instantly known what he had done to me. What I'd become. Despite our nature, we weren't like other vampires, choosing to be abnormal from our supernatural peers.

Our kind mated with others, though mine was the first instance, to my knowledge, of a vampire falling in love with a mortal. Again, it was far from normal. At least Esme's theory that perhaps I was too young during my change, was the reason for my failure to find a mate, was false.

Despite all that, it was strange to have such an emotion feel so normal. It should not feel normal to fall in love with someone so fragile, and with one whose blood called to me in such a way. Not only had if felt normal, it felt right. That was when I realized that I would never be able to leave Bella's side again.

If she would not have me, I had no idea what that decision would be drive me to do. That in itself scared me the most. Would I watch her from afar? Watch her fall in and out of love, as many humans of her age often did. Could I stand to see another boy in what should be my place?

They would undoubtedly give her more than I could as far as a physical relationship was concerned. However, since her accident, I had begun to doubt that concern. I'd been able to stop myself from hurting her, though her blood flowed from her body that day in the cafeteria. I had her in my car, and managed to keep her alive. That had to mean something as far as my level of control. Mind over matter. She had been hurt and her safety, her wellbeing was more important at the time than my need for her blood.

Would that change if she allowed me to hold her close? Kiss the soft mouth that I had admired on several occasions. Instantly, I recalled the memory of the brief kiss in her bedroom. The softness and warmth of her lips would forever leave an imprint in my thoughts. With that memory, others rushed forth; the color of her eyes, the feel of her skin and the rustling of fabric when she had changed into another shirt.

The images, the memories of the sounds and the scent of her replayed several times in quick succession as I made my way to the hospital. I had been away from her for far too long. I did a quick sweep of the tree line, my eyes catching the tail end of a wolf as it ran to keep up with my car.

I growled and stepped on the gas – after all, I was in a hurry. Thankfully, Esme had taken care of my Volvo, since Bella's blood had covered most of the passenger seat, leaving me with Carlisle's sleeker and faster Mercedes. The wolf whimpered when it realized that it couldn't match the car's 120 miles per hour.

Once I reached the hospital, I checked the perimeter, finding Jasper and Alice nearby. Carlisle had been the only one to speak to the wolf and council leader of the Quileute tribe. The lone wolf howled softly in the distance, no doubt detecting that I was not alone. When I was sure that he had left, I quietly relayed the information to Jasper and Alice. I sent them a quick nod and made my way inside the hospital.

I found Charlie sitting with Bella when I arrived and he greeted me with a smile. "You look a little more rested," he said, stretching in the uncomfortable chair. My "rest" consisted of several elk in the nearby woods the previous evening.

"I feel better now that I'm here," I said.. It was true. In her presence, I felt I could finally breathe. Inhaling deeply, I smiled as the burn in my throat increased. She was safe, and I knew that when I felt that familiar and welcome bit of discomfort.

"Her mother went home to get some rest," Charlie said as he stood up, and I could detect the exhaustion in his sluggish movements and thoughts. "We didn't get much sleep last night, as you can imagine." I frowned when I realized that he was remembering a nightmare he had the night before.

Bella cold, dead, eyes wide open. So still – yet beautiful – even in death.

I nodded grimly. "I was there when she fell," I whispered, shaking my head. "The blood, how still her body was, I know I will never forget it." Charlie's eyebrows furrowed and he rubbed a hand over his face. I looked down to where Bella laid, taking her hand in mine. The gentle continuous beep of the machine nearby whirred to life, her heart rate increasing ever so slightly.

Charlie grinned. "Well I'll be," he said with a laugh. "She really does know you're here."

I could not help the laugh that surfaced from deep within me. "It's a little bit of an ego boost and nice to know."

Charlie sighed. "I take it that she's not exactly telling you how she feels."

I shook my head. "No, sir. I can honestly say that your daughter is very hard to read, even before the accident."

He laughed and smiled. "She gets that from me. My advice," he said and shrugged, suddenly coming to a decision. He would do what he could to help me, how wrong he was to trust me with her heart. "Tell her how you feel, if you want something to happen between you two." He wanted me with her; if he only knew the truth, he would never wish for Bella to be with me. "You have your work cut out for you, and it's not just the memory loss thing. She won't come out and say how she really feels about something. I'm not stupid, I know she never wanted to come here."

This was something I had known. She had mentioned in Biology that she had only moved to Forks to give her mother the space she needed. Newlyweds were hardly discreet, no matter how hard they tried to contain their affection in the presence of others. This was something I could relate to, on some level, with Bella. I had always hated that I had to share my home with three other _couples_.

I heard Charlie yawn behind me; again his exhaustion was clearly visible and audible. "Has she woken today?" I asked, curious to her activities.

"Yes," he said with a slight huskiness to his voice. "They had her climb out of bed and walk the halls for a bit. But some poor man went into cardiac arrest the next room over. In all the activity, she had almost fallen again. The nurse and I brought her back in."

I watched his memories of what happened in his mind, both him and Renee had helped Bella, the nurse following closely behind with the mobile IV in hand. Bella looked stronger than I thought she would at that point of her recovery. They had passed the room that Charlie had indicated, Bella waved at the elderly man, who had smiled at her from within. It was after the second time she passed that the nurse inside the room called a "Code Blue."

Bella's brows furrowed as she hurried to her room, the moment a team ran past her. Renee herself had been the one to push Bella into the wall in all the chaos. Minutes later, Renee had told Charlie that she had to go get some sleep, due to exhaustion.

A plump Hispanic nurse had been in and out of Bella's room throughout the morning, so she had little rest. I frowned because I swore I had seen the same nurse asleep in a room nearby. When I heard Charlie yawn again, I knew he had to get some rest himself.

"I planned on staying for a few hours at least," I said, turning to face her father. "If you need to go home for a bit, I will watch over her."

Charlie scratched the back of his neck, contemplating. "I have to stop at the station," he said gravely. "Check up on some things, but that would be great. Are you sure you can stay?"

I nodded. "I called my mother and told her to bring dinner," I said with a smile. It was a lie, since drinking blood from a glass was hardly tasty. "When Bella wakes up, if she is feeling up to it, I will show her our assignments."

"All right," he said as he picked up his jacket from a nearby chair. "I'll call and check on her before I leave the station. I'll send Renee over, once she's up for it."

"Take your time," I said. "I don't think Bella would appreciate if her own parents are too tired."

Charlie smiled and shook his head. "No, she wouldn't. Thanks again, Edward." He stilled at the door of the room and turned back to look me in the eye. "For everything, son."

He left after that, leaving me with my thoughts in the blessedly quiet room as I sat in a chair beside Bella's bed. I understood what he was saying. However, he had no reason to thank me. I had replayed the events of the cafeteria repeatedly and I could've saved her from her injury. I had hesitated because it happened in a room full of people. I had hesitated because if I had acted, I would have risked further exposure. If she had died, I would have had to live with the guilt for an eternity. Though she had lived, I still would live with the same guilt. I had not protected what was mine, who I loved because of what I was—a vampire.

No matter what, because of that, I would always be a danger to her. I promised myself I would always catch her if she were danger in the future, no matter the consequences.

"You're thinking a little hard there," she whispered in a sleepy voice. I stilled not expecting the sudden intrusion. My eyes snapped open and I met her half-lidded gaze.

"Funny," I scoffed. "How would you know that I was thinking?"

She gave me a wide smile and rolled her eyes. "You're sitting in a chair, in a seemingly relaxed position, eyes closed, yet, I can feel the tension rolling off of you." I raised an eyebrow in question. "That and you can't pull off 'relaxed' to save your life." I laughed and grinned. "The next time your family goes camping, and a bear comes into the camp, make sure to run. You'd never be able to play dead."

I could not help the laughter at this point. She had no idea. After a few moments, the laughter that we shared slowed as we stared at one another. Her eyebrows furrowed in what I could only perceive as confusion. "For some reason, I don't think you ever laughed like that with me."

I gave her a small half-smile and shrug. "You're right. Though, it has been a while since I have laughed so much with anyone."

"I'm glad you find me so amusing," she whispered with a little huff as if both embarrassed and angry. It was a pathetic attempt at acting. I grinned; I could not seem to help myself.

"I find you fascinating," I confessed, awaiting the blush that would surely bloom across her face. And there it was, less than a second later.

"Who says that?" she asked absently, shaking her head. The perfume of her blood stirred in the air, enticing another lick of flames along my throat. "Fascinating, it sounds like you're looking over a patient or science experiment. Shouldn't you be rubbing your chin in thought and taking notes."

I gave her a stern look and tapped my temple. "Photographic memory."

"Great," she huffed, lying further on the bed. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait. _Do_ you and your family go camping?"

I shook my head and smiled. I, with almost limitless memory, had not caught the remark she had made as anything more than teasing and conversation. It had been a memory. "You remembered," I said. "We hadn't gone camping since your arrival, but it is possible that others have told you about it."

She lowered her eyes and stroked one of my fingers between two of hers. Then she clasped my hand in both of hers, so warm. The feeling, her touch was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Not even the first mouthful of human blood had been so sweet, so perfect.

"So you and I haven't talked," she said softly, refusing to meet my gaze. "I mean, tried to get to know one another."

"I wanted to," I replied almost pleadingly. "But no, we never sat and just talked."

Her eyes met mine and I could see something within hers, an emotion that I had seen often in those of my prey during my rebellious period. Fear. Her hands dropped mine as if it burned. Slowly, one ran over the bruise along her temple, the other along her bandage. Finally, one of them descended to lie upon her heart.

"If that's the case," she said in a choked whisper. "Then I don't understand why I feel…"

I leaned forward, taking both of her wrists in my hands. "Bella," I pleaded. "You have to be patient. You are lying in a hospital bed, hurt. We will get to know everything about each other as it should have been since the day I met you."

"I feel betrayed," she whispered as her eyes widened and filled with tears. If my heart would have been beating as the words had left her lips, it would have shattered.

I closed my eyes, the emotion I felt from her words, from her, were enough to cause my desperation to never fail her again reach a level of intensity that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I would die a thousand deaths so that I would never see the heartbreak that was so clear in her eyes. My lips pressed a kiss inside her wrist, in the middle of her palm. Her soft gasp made my eyes snapped open.

_Am I hurting her? _She shook her head.

Immediately, she looked chagrined as if she confessed to a crime. "I'm sorry," she said so softly, averting her gaze. "I don't have control of it. Sometimes someone's thoughts are linked to mine and I have no idea until a something really strong leaks through for me to hear."

I nodded. She was human, and controlling a gift as a vampire was hard to do during the first few years. "I am afraid," I said, again, kissing the inside of her wrist, where blood thrummed beautifully beneath my lips. She was so fragrant, so warm and soft.

She tensed, body and in mind. "Afraid of what?"

"Of the effect you have on me," I said cryptically. I was true, in every sense. I feared my instinctual need for her blood, my very human need for her body, and my sanity's need for the peace she would undoubtedly give me.

She freed one of her hands, and though her IV tugged at her skin, her fingers ran through my hair. "That's not all you fear," she said as if she knew what my reply would be.

"Most of all, I fear that you will turn away from me and never look back."

She shook her head. "I don't know how I know," she said. "But I don't think I would ever be able to."

"You have before," I said, looking into her dark eyes. "You were looking for answers and I had not been ready to give them freely."

Fingertips stilled in my hair, causing me to close my eyes at the sudden loss. She surprised me by cupping my cheek and brushing a thumb across my lip. "Are you ready now?"

"Not yet," I said against her fingertips. I felt every ridge of her print, as if it marked me permanently, branded into the skin that held no blemish. "Soon. If you come to conclusions, then we'll deal with the consequences. Feel free to ask me anything, I will not lie to you."

"But you'd omit if you had to," she said, her eyes rolled but she smiled nevertheless.

"As if you have never done the same before," I said in a teasing tone. She gave me a breathtaking smile and blush.

She sighed. "Perhaps you're right." Sitting a little higher, she asked me to fix her pillows. I did as she asked; having her double check to see if what I had done was fine. It was hard to gauge how lumpy a pillow was when no matter what I did to it, it still felt like a piece of cardboard. Once settled, her brown eyes sought mine. "All right." She stuck out her hand and smiled. "Hello, I'm Bella Swan."

I grinned. "Hello, I'm Edward Cullen." I sighed. "If only it had been that easy the first time around."

She tilted her head to one side. "It wasn't?" With pursed lips, she shrugged. "Of course it wasn't, why would you ever talk to me?" Her eyes widened after she realized that she had said that aloud. "And apparently, I also lost my filter along with three months of memories."

Her eyes fell to her lap, to our clasped hands. I released one of hers, and with tip of my forefinger, I brought up her chin so I could read her eyes. "Don't look away, Bella," I murmured. "It is the only way I can attempt to decipher what you are thinking."

"Open book," she said. "My mom said I was an open book."

I smiled, deciding to be as honest as possible. "You may have mentioned that before."

And that was how we spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. From that point on, we discussed everything that we could think of; such as books, movies, and even childhoods. She told me about Arizona, using her hands as she tried to describe the landscape, the colors.

The topic had turn to favorite foods, when I was thankfully, saved by the ring of her telephone. I answered as she had requested.

"Patient Zero's room," I said, grinning as Bella snorted.

"Edward," Charlie said hoarsely.

"Charlie?" I said questionably, since he sounded awful. "Is everything all right?"

"Renee has come down with something and I think I did, too. We're both tired and can barely keep our eyes open. May I speak with Bella?"

I handed the phone to Bella and told her I would return shortly. It would never do if Bella's parents become ill. She did not need the added stress. Silently, I walked down the hall to seek out my father. It would be in Bella's best interest that Carlisle checked up on her parents.

I found him in the next hall, leaving a patient's room. His thoughts were on the room's occupant, a nurse that was on Bella's rotation the night before. Then they turned to Michael Newton, whose symptoms were similar though not as potent. Had he been admitted?

"Carlisle," I said to gain his attention. His eyes met mine and his answering smile did not meet his eyes. "I thought I should tell you that Renee and Charlie are not feeling well, he called and spoke to Bella."

His eyebrows furrowed, his darkened gaze looking over the two charts in his hands. "I'm sorry to hear that, Edward. Do you know what their symptoms are?"

I shook my head and then gestured toward her room. "Would you mind checking her dressing? She keeps scratching at her bandage around her incisions, though she does it when I am not looking. But I could hear it."

Carlisle smiled genuinely. "I understand," he said as he gestured down the hall.

"Has Newton been admitted?" I asked, curious to why he was there. I hoped, for his sake, that he wasn't feigning illness in an attempt to get closer to Bella. If he was foolish enough to believe I would leave her side, he deserved whatever fate I could imagine. And I had a very vivid imagination, fueled by the vile and depraved thoughts of hundreds of evil humans I had fed upon.

"Yes," Carlisle said softly, so not to be overheard. Though he could answer me through his thoughts, it would look rather strange if I appeared to be the only one talking. "His mother said she had been unable to wake him for school. They brought him in as a precaution. It seems as if he is exhausted."

"Any other problems besides that," I said as we paused outside of Bella's room. He nodded, but didn't elaborate. If it were something to worry about, he would tell me despite the doctor/patient confidentiality. Neither of us wanted some type of illness to befall Bella while she was still susceptible to sickness.

"She's off the phone," I said as I knocked on the door to announce our arrival. Bella gave me a small smile as she held out the phone. She pouted, her bottom lip trembling just a bit. "What is it?" I took the phone from her and put it down on its receiver.

"I couldn't reach to put it down," she said firmly, scowling. "I don't like being like this."

My father brushed past me, giving Bella a smile. "It will not be for much longer, Bella," he said to a slightly dazed Bella. That was hardly fair since I did not seem that I had that effect on her. "You are healing at an incredible rate." He pulled out a pen light from his pocket and bent down just enough to look into her eyes.

"That may be," she said with a sigh. "But I don't have anything to do."

I grinned. "That is where I come in," I said. Her lovely brown eyes widened and a deep flush covered most of her neck and face. Had I implied something? Carlisle was snickering internally, telling me that I was correct in my assumption. "I brought your homework assignments and some of my books to occupy your time."

Her smile in reply was radiant. "It's a good thing we seem to have the same taste of literature." My father raised an eyebrow in question as he continued to look over Bella's vitals.

"Except for Wuthering Heights," I said as I laid out a few of the books I had brought from home. "I have already told you earlier today that I found the characters atrocious, however," I pulled out a new copy and passed it to her, "I made the exception this one time." Thankfully, she didn't question how I had the book when she had told me only today that it was one of her favorites. It didn't seem to be the right time to tell her that I had been in her bedroom.

"For me?" she asked, holding the book to her chest. I nodded, hoping she wouldn't fight me on this. I had discovered through her parent's thoughts from the night before that Bella detested gifts. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied. "Is everything all right?" I turned to look at my father.

He smiled, both internally and externally, so the prognosis had to be fine. "Yes," he said as he stood beside me. "As I said before, you're healing nicely. Would you mind if I examine you further?" Bella looked at my father and then me. As if he read her mind, he asked, "Would you prefer if Edward left?" _Would she ask me to leave?_

She immediately shook her head and bit her lip. "As long as I don't have to expose myself," she mumbled, another flush crept over her face. "I don't mind."

"I'm just going to examine your head," Carlisle said as he stepped forward. He asked Bella to sit up further, maneuvering the bed to incline to give her a little more back support. "All right, I will start by removing your bandage."

She nodded, her hands fidgeting in her lap, and her eyes averted from my own. I walked around the bed and took her hand. Carlisle's hands stopped for a fraction of a second, long enough for his gaze to linger on our clasped hands.

_There is dried blood, Edward. Are you sure you can handle it? _ I nodded, the movement only caught by our kind's vision. "Let's see how you're doing."

Bella remained immobile, except that she continued the delicious torture of examining my palm and fingers. As the bandage fell away, Carlisle gasped, barely audible, but enough to alert Bella.

"What's wrong?" she asked warily.

Carlisle touched along the back of her head and temple, remaining silent as he examined her. "You'll no longer need to change your bandages, but we still need to have you use the ointment to help with scarring." She cringed and shuddered at his words. "I do not anticipate any more bleeding. However, I would still like for another MRI and CT Scan, to be certain that the swelling has gone down."

Bella shrugged. "How bad is the scarring?" she asked as I released her hand so I could look myself. Carlisle had kept me from watching through his eyes, which left me curious and worried for Bella. She held onto my hand a little longer, as if she knew what I wanted to do. I gave her a smile, squeezing her hand once in reassurance.

Carlisle looked at me and his features were carefully masking his sudden fear and awe. There were raised areas, still red and raw from the recent procedure. _They should not look like this, this is over a week of healing in just over two days. And look at this. _He touched some of the short hair that surrounded one of the small circles where they had drilled into her skull. _The area around each one was shaved to the skin. _Her hair was thick, brown and over two inches long where he indicated.

"That's not possible," I murmured.

"I'd never seen anything like this," he said in a whisper, our exchange took fraction of a second.

"Is something wrong?" Bella asked.

I brushed my hand over her pale cheek, gone was the color that arose every time she would become shy or embarrassed. "There is some dry blood and fluids around your wounds and hair. It needs to be washed."

Bella's demeanor paled further. "My mother can't come tonight," she said softly. "She thinks she's coming down with a cold. The weather here isn't exactly what she's used to."

"I'll get one of the nurses' to help," Carlisle said.

Bella shook her head, wincing a bit. I cupped her cheek and pulled up her face so that I could see her eyes. "I'm fine," she said, biting her lip again. "I can wash my hair alone, thank you."

"Bella," I said in a soothing tone. "You have on a few occasions proved that you are unable to multitask."

Her eyes narrowed and fingers clenched around my hand. "I can do it."

"I'm sure you can," I reasoned. "However, can you do it without causing another accident?"

"Besides, you would not be able to wash the back of your head properly," Carlisle said, stepping around the bed to the small closet that held supplies. "Someone that knows what they are doing needs to wash around your incisions." _It seems that Alice had foreseen this, _Carlisle thought as he pulled out a bag from a hair salon in Seattle.

"Of course she had," I whispered under Bella's detection, watching Carlisle as he gathered other items.

"Why do you do that?"

I looked at Bella, confused. "Do what?"

"Whisper that way," she said. "I can still hear you." She tapped the side of her head.

This time, it was Carlisle's turn to look confused. "It seems that Edward has not told me everything about your abilities."

"I was not sure of the scope of them," I said simply.

"If you want her to receive the best care, then I must be informed of everything."

"As I said, she has little or no control of it."

Bella shrugged. "Edward's right," she said softly. "Sometimes I can't even tell when I have someone trapped within the wall."

"When can you tell?"

"I can always tell when Edward is," she whispered thoughtfully. "But since he said that he can read everyone's thoughts, he must be always projecting that gift."

"In other words, you can feel him trying to read you. Which allows you to read him just as easily," Carlisle said. He placed several items on the table nearby and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What happens if you concentrate?"

Bella stilled, closed her eyes and that was when Carlisle and I both felt it. "Whoa," we said in unison, a few feet from where _were_ both standing.

Before we could question her further, a machine a room over beeped continually. "Code Blue," someone said as he ran toward the room. Carlisle left immediately, leaving me with Bella.

"Oh, I hope it wasn't the same man from before," Bella whispered. "He seemed so sweet."

"They have a good team here," I said after a few moments of silence. Carefully, I took in Bella's appearance, noticing the tiny scar she had just over her left eyebrow was gone. I walked into the bathroom and started to fill an ugly pink container with warm water.

I looked up in the mirror over the sink and could see that my eyes had darkened considerably, when I had my fill hours earlier. Despite the call of Bella's blood, since my involvement with her, I had to hunt more often. This was too soon. Why?

Replaying the moments before the Code Blue, I could see that Carlisle's eyes darkened suddenly, too. What did it mean? I walked out with the container filled with warm water and placed it on the moving cart.

"Am I still within your mind?" I asked as she watched me gather the supplies I needed.

She shook her head. "I want _you_ to tell me your secrets."

I sighed and nodded. "Will you let me wash your hair?" Her pupils dilated, her heart beat faster in her chest, and the color that returned to her face was the warmest I had ever seen on her. How could I have ever considered her plain? She nodded.

"If you prefer a nurse," I offered. She shook her head, shifting on the bed so that her back faced me. The blanket fell further down her back, the gown she wore gaping open. Skin. There was so much lovely skin, pale pink as she took a deep breath. She twisted her arm behind her, lifting the sheet so that it covered more of her bottom half.

"You trust so easily," I whispered, brushing her hair over her shoulder. I bent and pressed a kiss on her neck. "You shouldn't."

"You won't hurt me." Her body trembled in direct contrast from her words.

"Then why do you tremble?" Cold-stone fingertips brushed her skin, along her collarbone and the nape of her neck.

"Because you're close to me," she replied, looking over her shoulder to meet my gaze. She smiled. "I don't think I've ever heard someone talk as you do."

"How to do I talk?"

"As if you're from another time."

I smiled, earning one in return. "I think you'll figure out all my secrets on your own." I draped a towel across her shoulders.

"I know one," she murmured, turning from me so that she could shake her hair, dark waves cascading down her back.

"What is that?" I gently applied pressure on her head, so that I would not get water in her eyes. I found another basin and fit it behind her so that it would catch anything that fell from her hair. I had no idea what possessed me to offer my assistance. Maybe it was a need to be as close to her as this. Perhaps it was because I wanted to share something that seemed intimate.

She hummed as I poured some water over the top of her head, watching each droplet catch in her hair. Carefully, I examined the area, where four small holes had previously been. Carlisle was correct. Bella was healing at an alarming rate. It was something that might draw attention to her. She couldn't remain in the hospital.

_Already on it, _Alice thought from outside of the hospital_. Carlisle and I will take care of everything. And yes, I'll stop watching. _

I rolled my eyes and continued my task. Always aware of the pressure I used, I continued to wash her. I deftly cleansed away the dried flakes of her blood from near the wound sites. There were moments that I had to hold my breath, between the closeness of her body, the warmth of her skin and feel of her hair under my fingers, I was barely holding onto my control.

It wasn't her blood I craved, but the exploration of the skin that teased me with every breath she took.

I poured some luxurious, thick shampoo that Alice had left into the palm of my hand. The torture continued as Bella moaned softly as I started to work the product into her hair. I swallowed. "You never answered, Bella."

Her body stilled and I could feel another tremor run up her spine. "I told you before," she gasped as I applied a little more pressure. "That I can pick up on things if they're really strong."

Did she know what I was?

"Go on," I encouraged, while internally, I pleaded for her not to run from me, even though I knew she should. She swallowed, her breaths coming out in pants. I murmured for her to tilt her head back further so that I could rinse her hair. I poured water over her again, this time running my fingers through it. Working the product and any little knots out with my fingers, I found the strands to be thick but felt like silk. Her head lulled to one side, a soft moan escaping again. "You have the softest skin." The tip of my finger brushed her ear and down the slope of her neck. I bent to breathe across the dampened skin there. "Tell me."

She sighed softly, another sound to commit to memory. "You love me."

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**AN: Thanks to kyla713 for your help with this chapter. I'm evil for leaving it there, I'm sorry. But what happens next needed to stand alone. She goes home in the next chapter.**


	13. Theory

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twelve – Theory**

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**Betaed by kyla713**

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Of course, she had the tenor of my feelings for her in my thoughts, the very ones I wished I could pluck from her mind.

No question was in her tone, as if she knew it as fact. A soft sigh escaped my unyielding lips, for it was inevitable that, for once, I would become the weaker of the two of us. I was weak in my desire for the blood that coursed through her. I was weak in my ungodly and unhealthy obsession of her thoughts and body. I was weak in the fact that I had no inclination of how she felt for me – a first. When had I become so dependent on my gift?

I had_ heard_ and seen many times in my lonely existence, the fantasies of a woman— or adolescent females, in most cases— of their desire for me. It was all a part of my supernatural allure to my supposed prey. The fantasies and uninvited thoughts from those women often left me somewhat embarrassed but I had become accustomed to them. They were something I could easily ignore.

However, I had never participated in fantasizing about a woman, until Bella. I wanted to know if my desire, my love for her was one-sided. Knowing I could not lie to her, because I was determined to give her what truth I could, I replied with touch.

I pressed a kiss on the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Her answering sigh was a note in the sweetest of melodies. One I would forever remember and committed to my vast memory. Her pulse thrummed beneath the scant protection of her skin; her blood so close to the surface. It was not, however, what called to me the most. It was the softness and fragrance of her skin. I inhaled deeply. _Feel the burn_, I thought to myself.

I squeezed as much of the water from her tresses, picking up a nearby towel to dry her hair. "Does it bother you?" I asked, tenderly running the soft cloth of the towel. Another gift from Alice. I would have to ask her to have Bella's sheets and pillows upgraded, perhaps everything in the stark white and bland hospital room. "My feelings, I mean."

Her small hands clenched against her sides, her eyes closed as my fingers brushed the nape of her neck as I continued to dry her hair. An excuse to touch her, one I would never pass up again. The beat of her heart increased, skipping a beat before running at a steadier, faster pace. Concern flared, and my hands went to her shoulders. Did I scare her?

"Easy," I whispered. So softly was the word spoken and said in a vain attempt to comfort her on some level. "If you wish me to go, tell me." Anxiously, I waited for the words that would destroy me, but would in the same breath, save her from a fate I did not wish for her.

Her shoulders shifted under my icy palms, not in invitation, but in retreat. She shrugged off my lifeless and numb fingers from her fiery skin. I would have wept at that moment, the loss so great that every fiber deep inside felt the icy chill of her denial. Again.

My hands dropped immediately; I wanted to run. I wanted to flee the pain that had already blossomed in my dead heart. _"Don't," _she thought, opening her thoughts.

Reality had me pausing, hoping. Dangerous thought. "Wait," she whispered. Gathering her hair, she tossed the wet towel that I had draped over her back to protect her. I watched and waited, and heard her softly tell me to give her a moment.

"I heard you're thoughts, yes," she said softly. "But I'm trying to understand them."

She turned to face me, careful with the IV in her hand that had kept her fragile mortality from deteriorating further. Her eyes were wide; not in fear but in speculation. How could she possibly question the love I felt for her? Had she not said herself that the most prominent thoughts leaked through her mental barrier?

"I do," I said, shaking my head. "I do love you, much more than you could ever love me." I laughed darkly then. "As if you ever could."

"Even without my memories, my body, my heart knows something my mind doesn't," she said in barest of whispers. As if she were afraid to speak them, making herself vulnerable. Her mind had to catch up; for now, she could not yet put a name to her own feelings. Give them reason to flourish as they may if her memory were intact. It was a tiny spark of hope in my midnight existence. However, a part of me believed that if her memories were still hers, she would put a stop to those very feelings.

No, that was not right. Before her accident in the cafeteria, she was willing to talk to me still. Perhaps, even give us a chance. Yes, I had to believe that she would have come around eventually and willingly.

She bit her bottom lip with uncertainty and nervousness. Unable to control the urge to touch her, to admire the warm softness of her mouth, two of my fingers brushed over it. I felt the breath of her gasp upon my fingers, leaning in further, ever cautious of my strength and of her reactions. It had not escaped my notice when her heart accelerated with every inch between that dissipated as I came closer.

I had to warn her. "Do not try to read my thoughts." She nodded numbly. If my hypothesis of her new gifts were correct, if she tried to read me, I would kill her. "Try not to move. Do not accidently pull out your IV."

"Are you always this vocal before you kiss someone?" she teased, a small smile gracing her lips. Her scent intensified as warmth and color enflamed her cheeks.

I wanted to roll my eyes, and if I were capable of blushing as she was, I would have been. "I do not know. I have never kissed anyone before."

"Right," she said in a sarcastic tone. "As if I'd believe someone as handsome as you has never kissed another girl." There was no bitterness in her voice, almost acceptance. However, there was no reluctance in her tone. She wanted this as much as I did.

"Now who is stalling?" I said, a breath away from her lips. I could feel the heat emanating from her, so close to my cold skin. Heating me and igniting my temperature a few degrees. Would she always have this affect on me? Human or inhuman?

"I'm not stalling," she said softly. "I was merely stating a fact." Her wry smile, almost innocent, was a clear indication of her nervousness.

"Do you not want me to?" I asked, so close to the softness I wanted to feel against my stone cold lips. A soft sigh escaped her, inviting me closer to her still.

Then the bed shifted beneath her and hit my thighs as her lips met mine. Suddenly lost in the sensations of her kiss, her proximity, I was unaware of anything else around me. Soft, tentative kisses led to something that unraveled my control. Her hands fisted in my hair, a keening sound captured in my mouth as her tongue dared to taste the texture of my lips. Unable to rein my actions any longer, I groaned and took her face in my hands.

Need so acute had me running across the room in less than a second. The kiss, no kisses, had not lasted any more than a minute. How can time so trivial mean so much and feel as if it lasted an eternity?

Confusion had Bella touching her lips, her gaze locked with my own. "Did I do that?" Then she proceeded to laugh and giggle, smiling as if I hadn't almost killed her.

Had I almost killed her?

No. The need, the urge that boiled over the surface was not of bloodlust but once forgotten human urges. It had always been a wonder to me why human boys at my supposed "age" walked around, adjusting themselves at least a dozen times a day in school. One kiss from her soft, luxurious mouth had me reacting. Every time I would look at Bella's lips from that moment on, I would relive our first real kiss and react as any typical teenage male. Oh my, how the tables have turned! My behavior was completely uncalled for, what she must think of me.

"I have a feeling that's not going to happen again," Bella said, a slight pout on her lips. _Shit!_

"I would think not," I said as I walked toward her, looking only into her eyes. That seemed to be the best place to both read her, and avoid staring at her mouth.

Her hand extended, waiting for me to take it. Had she any idea what this simple gesture meant to me? I slipped cold, rigid, steel-like fingers into her soft, warm hand. Slowly, gauging my reaction, she laid my hand on her lap, tracing the ridges along my palm.

"What do you think is happening to me?" she asked, concern filling her features.

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly.

"You have a gift, so you must've met others like you."

I nodded, unwilling to divulge my family's secrets. Not until she knew the biggest one of all. "I have met a few, though, you are the first that I've ever come across with a shield as powerful as you possess."

She cocked an eyebrow, no doubt trying to read between my lines. "So you've met someone with a…shield like mine," she started, tapping a free finger on her chin. "My father."

"He has something similar to yours, though, no where near the strength of it."

"You can't hear his thoughts," she said softly.

"I can get bits and pieces, as if his channels, signals if you will, keep changing."

"We're the only ones you've met that can do this?"

"Yes."

She yawned and sighed, her eyelids drooping. "I need to brush my hair and get some rest."

"You do," I whispered, finding a brush among the things Alice had provided. I removed my hand from hers, missing the contact and warmth instantly. After I released the rail on one side, I sat down and motioned for her turn around. With gentle strokes, I brushed her hair for quite some time before her body finally gave into the sleep it craved.

The moment her body sagged against my arms, I took a moment to savor. The smell of her hair was much closer to her original scent, beautiful and refreshing. The raw, little bumps of her incisions made a pain lance through me. She whimpered when I lightly touched them, her body trembled with wracking sob.

She was in pain.

I pushed into her thoughts, trying to get her to resist my intrusion. The moment she did, her body immediately relaxed. I slipped out of her mind, counting only thirty seconds of intrusion and yet, I felt as if I had not fed in weeks. It was unsafe for me to be around her in my condition, but she needed to heal. The thought of her in pain, tore me apart.

I had a plan, and thankfully, Carlisle had left to feed and call Esme. I slipped off her bed and searched for the things I needed. Within minutes, I was beside her again, with a wheelchair, dressed in a set of scrubs with all the information I needed to guarantee that it would not backfire on me.

I gently placed her in the wheelchair, attaching her IV to the hook at the top. I rolled her through the quiet hallway until we reached a room. Michael's dreams weren't so different from his fantasies, only this time, he was having double the fun with two girls baring Bella's resemblance. It took every ounce of control not to smack him across the room. It would only hurt for a bit.

I wheeled Bella inside the room. Earlier, as I checked hospital records to see when the last round of vitals had been taken— and the condition of the patients— I was able to find at least five people that could handle what I was about to do on the same floor. I was both equally hopeful and dreading the results of my experimentation.

Bella's natural resistance of intrusion into her mind created a shield that both protected her and subjected the intruder to some sort of draining. At least, that was my assessment. _Here it goes. _I entered her mind, the red wall was there, protecting and glaring as some sort of warning. The moment I tried to touch it, Bella's shield extended to the point where it lashed out against Mike and me. It had taken less than ten seconds, before I had to let go. In the space of that much time, Bella's hair had grown another couple of inches and the tiny, old scars that littered her body were gone.

It worked.

I checked on Mike's vitals to ensure that he would live. His luck was with him that night; the most he would feel was a headache and the continuing fatigue that overtook him already. He would still be gone before the end of the following day.

I proceeded to the other four patient's rooms, never taking more than ten seconds for Bella to obtain what she needed to heal, so she would no longer suffer. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I could not stand around and do nothing. No one would know what I'd done to speed up the process. Carlisle would indeed figure it out, but by then, it would be too late. Bella would be healthy and safe.

With another soft press of my lips on hers, I whispered a soft goodnight to her as I lay back in her bed. She sighed softly, my name a mere murmur amongst a jumble of incoherent words.

"Did you think I wouldn't figure out what you were doing?" Carlisle asked from the darkened doorway of Bella's room.

"I had hoped for a little more time," I answered impassively.

"She could have killed someone," he spat, his control, his compassion, unraveling in his anger.

"I would not have allowed it." I turned to face him, his face calm, and yet, his eyes judged me. "Would you do no different if Esme lay dying or suffering?"

He shook his head. "I would feed her the nourishment she needed, not force her do something she had no understanding of. Have you no idea what you've done?"

His thoughts became clear in mind – no.

I growled and fisted my hands in his jacket, his body rigid in his anger and distaste. "You would have us leave so that I will not change her!" I growled and pushed him against the wall. "As if I would follow anywhere she was not."

"You are not thinking clearly," he said, his hands started to curl around my wrists. As if he could restrain me. Though he was infinitely more knowledgeable than I was, I knew everything he planned to do for that tiny fraction of a second before his body complied with his requests. I twisted my hands just in time, manacling _his_ wrists.

"I will not leave," I said with so much conviction that the fight left his eyes.

"I will have to tell the family of this new development," he said in defeat or perhaps as a threat. "We will decide what is for the best."

"I will not allow something to befall her for my decisions," I said fiercely. "I will protect her and destroy anyone that would choose to harm her."

"Do you have any idea of the destruction she would cause if she became one of us?"

Perhaps, she would not have to. Could she live forever, taking little "sips" from the lives of others? It was something worth looking into; after all, even her old scars healed.

"She must be taken off rotation and released by morning," I said, refusing to discuss this any longer.

"You will not have her take more from anyone?"

I nodded. "I will not _force _it to happen." He raised his eyebrow in silent question. "She has little control of her gift, and if she happens to take energy from others, I will do my best to stop her." _Eventually._

I turned away from him and sat in the chair nearest Bella. Taking her hand in mine, I closed all thoughts of discussing anything further.

By morning, Bella had unconsciously, and without my help, drained life from at least a dozen more people. Hurting no one, though; all her victims were still breathing, only fatigued. Her body, her mind was doing it naturally. It was time to take her home before, as Carlisle said, she killed someone. Bella would never become a killer if I had something to do with it. I would do anything to prevent her from feeling the guilt associated with taking a life.

While she ate a breakfast I had brought for her, that consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon and French toast, we waited for her parents.

"Hey, kiddo," Charlie said as he entered the room. He eyed Bella's food, his hand resting on his grumbling stomach. I smiled as I reached for the other container that Alice had warned me to bring. I passed it along to Charlie, who gladly accepted.

"Where's Mom?" Bella asked as she wiped at the corners of her mouth. I was achingly aware that it was not the time to be caught staring at her lips again. The night had been infinitely long enough.

"She's talking with Edward's father and getting your paperwork filled out," he said, taking a drink of coffee before he continued. "You're going home today!"

Bella's answering smile was radiant and full of hope. "Really? That's good." Then her smile fell as she shook her head. "I can't remember if my room looks the same."

Charlie shrugged, unaware how much that knowledge disturbed his daughter. "I bought you a new bedspread and sheets, but everything else is pretty much the same as the last time you came."

"Purple?"

Charlie smiled and nodded, encouraged by her progress. As was I; but was her regaining memory a good thing? Where would it leave me if she suddenly remembered the accident that almost crushed her? The kiss while she slept, the fact that I had snuck in her room? And my month long act of supposedly ignoring of her?

I had to talk to her, tell her all about that. "It is good that you are remembering more and more, and perhaps in time, you will regain your memory fully," I said with a smile. Inside, my thoughts churned with all the possibilities.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I felt the slight sting of her attempted intrusion. I raised one of my own at her, causing her to blush. It was time for me to leave and hunt, before I did something like growl at her. The hunger, the burn, was becoming too much.

"All right," I said as I stood, instantly Bella's fingers tightened around mine. "I will return before you leave so I can offer some assistance."

Her gaze fell from mine as she nodded. "You don't have to help."

"You're welcome anytime, Edward," Charlie said as he continued to eat. "After saving my daughter for the second time, it's the least I can do." I stilled, awaiting the questions that would undoubtedly follow.

"Second time?" she questioned, her eyes horrified. "Three months in Forks and I had to be saved twice?"

Charlie laughed and nodded. "Though I'm sure you would've appreciated it if Edward would've caught you when you fell on the ice in our driveway."

Bella blushed. "Dad!"

"What? You're as accident prone as I was growing up." His smile fell, in mock horror. "Sorry about that, kid." She rolled her eyes, her fingers still anchoring me to her. "The first time Edward saved you from getting crushed, Bella."

Her shoulders fell as she shook her head and confusion filled her eyes. She looked up at me, seeking answers I could not give her in front of her father. If I had to explain, I would have to lie. That did not sit well with me.

"I have to go," I said softly. "We will talk about it later. I am sure your father can help fill you in on that event."

"You'll be back?" she questioned, giving me a small smile.

"Nothing could keep me from you for long," I said, leaning to press my lips to her forehead. "I will return after I check in with the school and my sister."

"That Alice is a godsend," Charlie said. He rose to his feet and tossed the containers of his breakfast and Bella's in the trash. "Thanks for sending her to get Bella's room ready for her. Renee and I were not feeling up to it yesterday."

"No problem," I replied. "Alice loves to help." I slipped my fingers from the warmth of Bella's, giving her a small smile as she sighed in disappointment. "I'll be back."

She smiled again and nodded. "Promise?"

"Yes," I said simply, leaving before I could not. It was time for me to hunt.

~oOo~

Pulling up behind Charlie's cruiser in front of his house, I left my car to help Bella. Even though her recovery was remarkable, her inability to traverse the wet and icy driveway without falling made me nervous. I could not imagine what would happen if she endured yet another head injury.

She offered me a smile as she took my hand in hers. Alice stood on the porch with Renee. She had returned from the hospital long enough to make Bella's homecoming welcoming. Bella rolled her eyes at the balloons and streamers that festooned the entryway.

As we ascended the stairs carefully, Charlie following closely behind us, I noticed Alice tense. Her eyes glazed over and a chill spread through her.

Darkness filled her thoughts, there was nothing leading to the night of her vision. Then suddenly, her vision took vibrancy and urgency, Charlie covered in blood, Bella screaming as Renee ran to the phone, Alice kneeling beside Bella, trying to stem the gushing blood from his body.

As I tried to decipher the meaning, the reasons for why that could happen, something caught my attention. I growled under my breath as a foul scent permeated the air. A small, ancient car sputtered to a stop in the driveway, with four passengers crammed inside.

The wolves had descended.


	14. Defend

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirteen – Defend**

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**Betaed by kyla713**

_Italics are thoughts exchanged by Edward and Bella and thoughts Edward hears, too._

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Bella stilled in my arms and I watched as her eyes widened. She had either seen the vision or noticed the tension in my protective stance. I had no clue how to handle the situation without exposing Bella and her parents to two types of supernatural beings.

"Dad?" Bella gasped, obvious that she had seen what Alice had. Perhaps she had seen them from my own thoughts. Her words were soft and filled with fear. Delicate fingers clutched to my arm and shirt as she processed the vision. "Dad!" She tried to leave my side but I held her back.

"Calm down," I whispered. "I don't know what attacks him."

"What? What do you mean by that?" she asked, watching as her father stepped toward the car. From behind us, we heard as Alice called Jasper, though she kept the nature of it private by speaking softly. Renee walked down to meet us with a bright smile for her daughter. However, Bella was oblivious to her mother's attention, her entire focus on her father.

"Tell me you know why I saw that in your mind?" Bella whispered. "Tell me my father isn't about to die?"

"Her visions are subjective," I replied, careful to keep my voice low enough for only her to hear. "We can change it."

Charlie stood almost defensively at the end of the driveway. His last call with Billy was fresh in his mind, remembering how his friend asked him to put Bella at risk because of his prejudice against my family. If they could not get past it, Charlie planned on asking them to leave.

"Only one has changed," Alice said, loud enough for me to hear, sniffing the air. "But the other two are close, anything could provoke the change."

I nodded, aware that one of the men inside the car had his eyes on me. Sam, he was the first to have gone through the transformation that allowed them to shift into giant wolves. Aware that Bella heard my thoughts, I bent so that I appeared to be whispering into her ear but kept my words private and silent.

"_They are generally protectors. However, they can become volatile if provoked." _Bella nodded, asking that I continue. _"They have reasons to fear my family, we are natural enemies." _Her breath hitched and her walls instantly drew up, closing her thoughts from me.

However, she remained close and wrapped my arm around her waist. "What would scare a werewolf?" she whispered, but it seemed to be directed to herself.

Sam exited the ancient car and circled around to help with Billy's wheelchair. His eyes had moved from me to Bella, having heard her question. He was waiting for me to answer her.

Internally, I warred with myself. It was not the time to have the discussion of what I was, not with the others around. It should be a private conversation, so that I would have the chance to convince her that I would never hurt her intentionally. I had to find a way to answer without saying the word.

"My family and I are here to protect you," I replied. "But there others like us out there that would kill you if given a chance."

Alice gasped behind us, alerting me to a new vision. Bella's wall fell as she opened her mind to see Alice's thoughts through me, allowing me to read her mind. Her thoughts, however, were focused on the vision.

Little of it had changed, except that Bella instead of Alice stood over her father and mother, with my sister standing protectively in front of her. While I remained frozen, watching in horror.

"Who are you?" she gasped.

I shook my head and replied, "Someone that loves you very much, Bella." Pressing a kiss to her temple, I continued in silence. _"I'll explain everything later."_

She nodded and stepped away from me, toward her father. "Dad?" she said softly, reaching for his arm. Though his stance was solid and filled with tension toward the unexpected visitors, he softened when Bella's hand touched him, her eyes on Billy. "Who is he?"

Charlie shook his head, his lips pursed thinly. "A friend," he growled. "At least, I thought he was." We all watched as Sam bent to whisper something to Billy, repeating what Charlie had said too low for him to hear.

"Charlie," Billy said with a tense nod as his son wheeled him up to curb. His dark eyes darted between Bella and Charlie then toward Alice and me. "I see you haven't taken my advice."

"He saved my daughter's life, twice," Charlie said firmly, his breath coming in strong pants. "His father saved her life in that hospital, and Edward's sister had made her stay bearable. So no, I did not or will not take your advice, concerning the Cullen family."

"_We're here, Edward," _Jasper said from the back yard. _"I can see you. Give me a nod if you want for us to close ranks." _ I nodded and I listened as Jasper gave instructions to the rest of the family. Rosalie seemed reluctant to help, but as she had despised the wolves since our first encounter years ago, she was ready to fight them, if necessary. She was fiercely loyal to the family.

"_Edward," _Alice said to capture my attention. _"They need to be invited inside. We can't allow the neighbors to see."_

I shook my head and Bella gripped me harder. She looked across the street and to the right; sure enough, Mrs. Porter appeared to be watching from her living room window. She could easily see the hostility in Charlie's stance, something she had never seen before.

Bella took another step toward her father and smiled. "I don't remember him, Dad. Why don't you invite them inside, see if they can help jog my memory?"

Charlie's shoulders relaxed infinitesimally, though he was reluctant to allow them inside, he would do anything to protect his daughter. He earned respect from me instantly, because it was obvious he would protect her with his dying breath if need be.

However, I was determined that it would not happen at the moment. Not with his daughter so close to the danger. Bella had become a part of me, and that included her family. That meant I would protect them all, as I would protect her.

"Yes," Renee said, stepping past me to stand beside Charlie. "Why don't we go inside?" She smiled at Billy, but it had not reached her eyes. Billy nodded and gestured toward the house. Jacob, his son pushed him up the driveway. Bella's attention, however, remained on the two other men that stood at the curb.

Despite the fact that I was not focusing on their thoughts, I could see that Bella dropped her shields long enough to use my powers to read their minds—an interesting development. Though Sam had already gone through the transformation, Paul was only in the initial stages, riddled with fever, adrenaline and testosterone.

Slowly, with my eyes on them, I walked backward, pulling Bella with me. "It would be best to have as much control of the situation as possible," I said for Bella's benefit and theirs. "My family has the house surrounded, should the vision of Charlie dying come true."

Sam stilled and his head tipped back to pick up my family's scents. His eyes met mine and he glared. Staying as close as possible to Bella and Alice, we entered the Swan home. Inside, I could not help but take a deep breath. Slowly, I inhaled in the all-encompassing scent that had permeated every porous surface of Bella's home.

Bella elbowed me and shook her head. _"I hardly think sniffing my house looks good. You better explain to me now."_

I shook my head, blocking my thoughts by going over one of Jasper's Civil War books that I had read once. _"It is hardly the time for everything to come out. I promise, I will tell you."_

She growled under her breath, stomping her foot once before taking a stand beside her father. I shook my head again, earning a lethal glare from her. _"You are too close to him. If the vision comes true, I do not want you to be caught in the crossfire."_

"_Do not ask me to stand aside," _she hissed in her thoughts. _"I may be able to stop the attack with my shield."_

I shook my head, pulling her behind me but remained close to Charlie and Renee. _"You cannot control your shield as well as you think."_

Alice stood on the other side of Bella's parents, searching for our futures. However, they remained dark; no doubt the wolves' proximity was the cause of her lack of visions. Jasper had picked up on Alice's distress and wanted to come inside, but he was well aware how that would appear to Sam.

Under my breath, still loud enough for Sam to hear, I whispered, "Close in, be ready should they attack, but only if they transform first."

Sam's eyes remained on mine, his mind filled with questions. It was obvious he never knew that the _cold ones_ of legend had other supernatural gifts. Though he only sought peace, a willingness to protect Bella from me, he was also worried about the vision I had mentioned earlier.

"Hello, Bella," Billy said, extending her hand. She cocked her head from one side to the other, trying to read him again. Billy's thoughts were filled with the legends of his people, so I did my best to prevent her from using my powers to read his thoughts. It seemed that Bella could only read their minds through me.

She hissed at the detailed description of the battle that filtered through my mind. Once again, she elbowed me, likely hurting herself in the process. I opened my mind for a moment. _"Please be patient, I will explain everything."_

After taking a deep breath she gathered herself. Taking Billy's hand in hers, she smiled gently. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't really remember much, only the smell of fish for some reason."

Billy laughed and nodded. "You usually joined Charlie on our weekly fishing trips growing up." He looked at his lifelong friend and gave him a small smile. "I'm pretty sure you hated it."

Bella's confusion was clear on her face. "Then perhaps I repressed those memories."

Jacob smiled and laughed, seemingly oblivious of the hostile tension in the room. Though he knew of the legends, it seemed as if he had never believed in them. "Hey, I'm Jacob. We used to make mud pies together." He looked at Bella expectantly, hoping that she would remember him as he remembered her.

Bella shrugged and apologized to him. "It's cool," Jacob said with a big smile. "I'd suggest we hit the mud together, but I got a feeling you wouldn't be into it anymore."

Bella laughed and shook her head. "I don't think my doctor would approve."

"It's good to see that you're feeling better," Billy stated, looking questionably at her. He believed that Bella's miraculous recovery was in all likelihood due to my changing her. However, he could see that there were no changes in Bella's appearance; see the color that filled her face. He relaxed, happy to see that his worst fears had not come to fruition.

"Thanks to Edward and Dr. Cullen," Bella said with a smile, yet her eyes were calculating. She was looking for a reaction. Billy's smile fell and he cleared his throat, nodding as his thoughts scrambled to come up with something to say.

"Exactly," Charlie said firmly. "If it hadn't been for Carlisle and his boy, Bella wouldn't be standing here at home."

Even though he was wrong in a sense, I could not help the warmth that filled me. Defending me and Carlisle again was not something I had expected. I thought he would stand by his daughter and defend the care we had given her. Not me. Quickly, I focused on Charlie's thoughts.

What I found in them was another thing I had not expected. Charlie had put all the clues together. From Billy's hostility, to a drunken night where they discussed the legend of his people, to my incredible rescue of his daughter from the van, one that I should never have walked away from, to the supposed attack on Emily. A wolf attack was what they claimed when he asked about her fresh scars. There were other little instances, our cold hands, similar eye color for a family supposedly unrelated by blood, and the fact he had never seen me eat.

He knew. He knew what we were.

Bella thankfully was preoccupied with something else. Paul started to shake and sweat broke out across his forehead and beaded along his neck. Alice tensed, also sensing the anger and resentment that seemed to roll off Paul in waves.

Renee, as intuitive as ever, seemed to have picked up on Charlie's anger. She offered everyone a drink, but they all refused. Jasper, who stood only a few feet from the back door, tried his best to calm Charlie's visitors.

"Why don't we have a seat," Bella indicated.

"Don't you know what they are?" Paul growled his eyes on Bella. His angry outburst put Jacob on alert. His dark eyes turned toward Paul as he continued, "Fucking leeches."

Renee's back went ramrod straight. "Excuse me?"

Charlie's face turned several shades of red before he spat angrily in his face. "You watch your mouth. I will not have you disrespect my guests or my daughter."

"She'd deserve it," Paul hissed, his fists clenched, almost white with tension. "Aligning herself with them."

"That's enough, Paul," Sam said calmly, but there was underlying edge to his words. Facing me, he added, "We're simply curious what you're intentions are with Bella."

Alice pointed out in her thoughts that it had to be Paul that would attack. His anger and being his first vampire encounter would undoubtedly cause his transformation before us.

Bella laughed. "What business of yours is that? What are his intensions? What the hell is going on?"

Charlie stood in front of Bella and me. I knew whatever had transpired to cause the vision, it was about to occur. Alice and I moved as one unit in front of Bella and her parents.

"We wanted to remind you of the treaty," Billy stated simply. "That was all we came to tell you, _cold one_."

I growled under my breath at the name. And in a flash, everything seemed to slow down, long enough for me to see the true threat. Jacob, who finally understood, stood back and hissed. The true alpha, the decedent of Ephraim Black had a power that was incomparable to Sam and Paul.

"Now," I warned my family, just as Paul started to transform, too.

Instantly, Jacob lunged toward me, transforming in mid-air. Bones moved and twisted beneath skin and bone, saliva dripped and flew from razor sharp teeth after only half a second. Snarling, his jaws closed around my arm. Alice pushed Bella and her parents out of the way, as the rest of my family filtered into the living room. Esme moved Billy out of harm's way, as he called out for peace repeatedly.

Sam transformed, and instead of attacking, he tried to help me. However, Paul, being his first transformation and palpable anger toward us, focused on his attention on Alice.

I pushed Jacob off me, all the while Bella screamed, watching in horror and fascination. Jasper charged Paul before he could reach Alice, sending the wolf toward Bella. She screamed, her hands coming up to offer feeble protection. However, it worked.

Paul bounced off the physical form of her shield and snarled as he found his footing. Confusion filled thoughts. _"She's one of them!" _

Sam tried to reason with him within their shared thoughts, telling him to listen for her heart as he tried to get Jacob off me. Sam tossed Jacob aside and tried to counter his every move.

I had not bothered to fight back, not really. I was more focused on the scene before me. Paul growled and charged toward Bella. Before I could reach her, Jacob snapped at Sam, tossing him across the room. He turned on me and charged. I found purchase on Paul's hulking form and tossed him toward Rosalie and Emmett, who promptly cornered him. Before I could counter Jacob's move, his mouth closed over me again.

Pain fired along my shoulder and neck. Shouting for Bella, I tossed Jacob again. I crouched defensively in front of Bella, snarling at him. Both Paul and Jacob charged from their positions.

I wrapped my arms around Jacob's throat, slamming him against the floor that shook from his combined weight and the force of my move. Bella screamed behind me, and I knew that I was too late.

The air sizzled with heat and tension as I turned to assess the situation. Jasper and Alice stood over the naked form of Paul, not breathing due to the blood that tinged the room. Furniture laid torn to pieces all around the living room.

Sam transformed and caught something Billy threw at him. He looked toward Bella and her father, tossing on a pair of cut off shorts. Jacob stilled and his dark wolf eyes moved toward the soft sobs that came from Bella. Beside her, her parents laid, covered in blood.

In the chaos that ensued after Jacob's transformation, Bella was able to protect herself with her shield, but her parents were defenseless from the debris and Paul's claws.

Gasping for breath, her father grabbed Bella's face with bloodied hands. "Stay away from the rez and the wolves. Do you understand me? And trust Edward." Bella nodded and cried as his hands fell from her face. Renee lay unconscious but her breath was shallow.

Bella cried out as Charlie's heart beat started to slow. Her dark eyes turned to the wolves and she pointed a finger toward them, then at me. With a swift gesture, Bella's shield extended further, tossing all of us out the front window.

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**AN: She's just confused at the moment. Can you blame her?**


	15. Sob

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Fourteen – Sob**

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**Betaed by kyla713**

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I rolled, surprised by the force, but the moment my feet touched the ground, I ran toward the window of Bella's house. Inside, she sobbed and cried over her dying parents. I roared in anger as her power kept me from her. "Mom! Dad!" she cried out, the agony she felt seemed to make her shield pulsate.

"Bella!" I pounded against the invisible force that encircled the window. Strength had little effect on her shield, and I could see that it was different from the one that formed around her mind. It absorbed my impacts and became stronger.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Esme and Alice try the front door and circle to the back. Alice shook her head, having checked the back door, returning in a fraction of a second. Emmett and Jasper returned from checking all the upstairs windows.

"Every entrance in protected by the shield" Alice said grimly. Carlisle stood over Billy, who clutched at his chest. A whimpering Jacob sat idly by his father, but growled as I looked toward them. I was aware then that Sam had fled with Paul's broken body toward the tree line after Bella's surprise demonstration.

"Carlisle!" I hissed, turning my gaze back to Bella. "Tell me what to do!"

He shook his head, confusion filling his thoughts, feeling as clueless as I did. "Distract her," he replied softly. "Talk to her."

"Can you see anything, Alice?" My question a plea, but my eyes were on the crying girl inside her home. Sadly, Alice whispered a pain-filled no.

Jasper, who had stopped breathing the moment Charlie's spilled blood tinged the air, started to back away from the house. "I'm sorry, Edward. I cannot stay." Jasper grimly shook his head when Alice refused to leave with him.

"I'll be fine, Jasper," she said, rubbing at her temples, surprisingly due to pain.

I growled as I turned to Jacob. "Your presence here is preventing us from helping Bella and her parents, leave now." He snarled and twisted his head from side to side, ready to launch at me again.

However, his father laid a hand along his furry back. "No son," he whispered hoarsely. "We've done enough damage."

"Daddy!" Bella screamed and I returned my gaze toward the house. "No! Please!" Choked sobs filled her every breath and word. I watched as she tried to staunch the flow of blood that spilled from his wounds, since Charlie had taken the brunt of Paul's claws.

"Bella," I said both internally and out loud. "I can still hear both of their heartbeats. You need to let us in, we can help!"

"How? Hear their heartbeats? I don't understand!" she cried out in desperation. "How?" Shaking her head, her darkened gaze met mine through her battered living room window. "I don't care! _Your_ presence made them do this. _Your _enemy did this!"

I could not deny that. If Alice and I had not accompanied her home, perhaps it could have been prevented. From the borders that lined Bella's backyard, I heard Jasper offer some assistance. "I can't calm her through her shield, but I can feel her. She's scared, Edward. Her shield is a manifestation of her fear, anger and need to protect her parents. She may not be aware of it. You need to talk to her, calmly."

I nodded and worked to smooth out my voice. "My family," I stated, knowing she heard me from where I stood outside. "We have gifts, speed, agility, photographic memory, mind reading, precognition, and strength. Let us in, Bella. We can help them. We only want to help."

"Edward," Alice said, pulling on the back of my sweater. The rest of my family repeated my name as Alice had – voices laced with fear and uneasiness. "She's doing something."

I felt the strange sense of hunger gnaw at my throat and stomach. Meeting Carlisle's astonished gaze, I could see the amber color of his eyes darken in seconds.

"Holy shit," Emmett exclaimed. "Look at the grass." He pointed at the tiny lawn that started to turn from green to yellow and finally to a dark brown, shriveling up before their very eyes.

"She's killing the trees, too," Rosalie whispered, clutching her throat. Her hunger was evident and quickly becoming foremost in her mind.

The whispers and awe of what we were witnessing was broken by a choking sound and whimper that escaped Billy and Jacob. Carlisle's eyes widened in realization, Bella was draining energy from every living thing around her. Within seconds, Jacob transformed, weakened.

Moving quickly, Emmett and Rosalie helped Jacob and Billy toward safety as Carlisle whispered for Esme to check on the noisy neighbor. A part of me had wished that Jacob had remained. He was, after all, partially to blame for what had happened. Bella needed his energy for her parents to live.

Another scream broke from inside the house, and I felt the shield melt beneath my fingers. Instantly, I cut through the remaining remnants of it and rushed toward Bella.

I held my breath as I pushed her hands away, she fell on her backside, clutching her face in her blood-stained hands. Alice moved behind her, cradling Bella in her arms. I felt both relief and shock, and then it quickly returned to fear. Charlie's heart had stopped.

"Carlisle!" I roared as I started chest compressions on Charlie's chest. The claws had missed all major arteries and hadn't punctured a lung, but they were deep and there was a considerable amount of blood. Several of his wounds had already started to heal from Bella's touch.

I turned my gaze to Bella, assessing her for injuries, and then looking over her mother. "Bella, I need you to move your mother away so we can work on your dad. She'll be fine. It seems that she only hit her head and had the wind knocked out of her." Though it was obvious she had sustained a brutal injury from her fall, but that was until her daughter had helped her.

I expected her to follow my instructions, however, she remained eerily paralyzed. Carlisle rushed to my side, his mind on Billy, who Rosalie reluctantly had taken to the hospital. "Bella!" I said to help her snap out of her trance.

"She wasn't fine," she whispered, scrambling to her knees beside her mother. "I did something."

"I know," I replied softly.

"He's losing too much blood, Edward," Carlisle murmured too soft for Bella to here. "There isn't enough time to get to the hospital."

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, trembling as her hands shook violently. "Both of your minds just froze."

"Come here, Bella," I said, holding out my cold, crimson-soaked hand. Her eyes focused for a moment on the blood that dripped from it, but determination set in her eyes. Soft, cool fingers closed around mine, allowing me to pull her close. "You can help him."

Carlisle attempted to protest, but he knew it was futile. There was not enough time. "You can use your new found gift to help him," I whispered as I settled her in front of me. Wrapping a protective arm around her, I held her close and continued to whisper in her ear. "What were you thinking before?"

Bella shook her head but replied softly, "That I didn't want to lose them."

Carlisle watched as I laid Bella's hands on her father's chest. I had no idea if touching would make the healing process easier, but at that point, anything was worth a try. "Close your eyes and picture the wall that protects you."

Her long lashes fluttered closed, her lips parted as she exhaled harshly. Fear and anger still ran through her body and mind, but the love for her father overpowered all other thoughts. After a few seconds, Carlisle seemed to have given up and moved toward Charlie again. I shook my head and waited.

Another second passed and warmth seemed to emanate from the very tip of Bella's fingers. Carlisle gasped and we watched as the gruesome and ragged gashes on Charlie's chest started to stitch together. Almost as if someone was pulling a horrific zipper made of skin and blood closed.

For every centimeter of his recovery, I felt my own body protest. Carlisle moaned softly, no doubt feeling the same side effect of Bella's gift. For any life she gave, she must take from another. The usual sounds of birds and insects disappeared in a flash.

Silently, Carlisle expressed his concerns. _Can you handle being this hungry with her so near?_

What choice had I?

"Where's Esme?" I asked in a tone that Bella wouldn't hear.

_She had to leave the area with Bella's neighbor, talked her into having lunch together. _

His dark gaze turned to me and I could see the hunger etched in his eyes and the purple bruises that marred the skin around them.

"Can you handle being this hungry with Bella so close?" I asked, turning his concern to my own. He would have to leave; I would not have Bella in danger. _As if she was safer with you – alone –_ I thought bitterly.

"I'm not leaving you," Carlisle whispered, laying a tentative hand on Bella, leaving his statement for me to ponder over. "Bella, I need to see."

She simply nodded and laid her head back against my shoulder, seemingly exhausted or unaware of what she was doing. Carlisle worked methodically, checking every inch of what had once been Charlie's mangled chest. Bella had missed one bad gash that extended from the top right side all the way to his hip.

Bella tried to put her hands back on her father, but I pulled them away. "No, angel. You are too weak now." She attempted to protest, but went limp in my arms.

"She fainted," Carlisle said, lifting Charlie in his arms. He whistled and Alice materialized beside me, Carlisle gestured toward Renee. She had left when the scent of blood had been too much. Swiftly, we all ran toward Charlie's cruiser, my precious cargo breathing slow and soft against my neck.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, as Carlisle pulled out of the driveway.

"From what I could tell, Bella's shield can only extend so far," he stated, his brow tightened as he tried to explain. "And she managed to take all living energy from everything within it. Once she ran out, her body turned in on itself."

I held her tightly against my chest. "She could kill herself, if she is not careful," I stated softly. "She would have to be watched."

Carlisle slipped in behind the wheel and pulled out of the driveway in less than a few seconds. "She cannot stay at the hospital," he said gravely.

Alice hummed in agreement, but added, "She will not listen and you will not be able to stop her. You'll have to make sure she has no critical patients surrounding their rooms."

Carlisle nodded, no doubt aware that he had been out-voted. He knew it would be futile to convince Bella otherwise. "She needs to learn to control her gift, Edward." He turned to me then, his expression filled with concern. "She could bring the Volturi to us if she continues to manifest her powers as she had. With our presence in the area, there is no doubt that Aro would intervene and investigate."

I swallowed, my throat burning. Immediately, Carlisle had become aware of my predicament; Bella was too close and I was too hungry. He drew the windows down, allowing cool mountain air to filter and carry some of Bella's intoxicating scent from within the confines of the car. It was not enough.

The only thing that would give me some peace was escaping. I had to escape into Bella's thoughts. However, I feared what I would find there.

My eyes fluttered closed as I allowed my entire body to melt into a relaxed state. One by one, each tensed muscle group let go, but still cradled Bella's fragile body. I realized the moment I stepped out of reality and into the mind of my beloved.

My thoughts floated along with my perception of my body toward the red wall that enclosed a frantic Bella behind its power. Her hands seemed to flick through memories, plucked from the thin air. Almost as if she were watching them on an invisible television set. Some of those memories were of her parents, and others were books.

The Bella behind the wall wore simple clothes that included jeans and an oversized sweater, but all in black. She stomped her foot in frustration, but continued to work through her memories.

"I can't find you in my memories!" she screamed, turning dark and fury filled eyes toward me. "What are you?"

Before I could answer in some way, I felt myself being pulled back from Bella's phantom figure. I reached out for her, but she only glared at me. Her anger was palpable, even though what I could see was not reality. However, it was her thoughts, her mind and that meant I had lost her trust – again.

A hand on my shoulder had forced me from Bella's thoughts, and I felt a little relieved that if need be, someone could free me her mind. A part of me wondered what would happen if Bella was angry enough, could she could trap me within her mind.

"How long?" I whispered, resting my head on the back of the passenger seat. I held Bella impossibly closer as I turned my eyes to Alice.

"You've been under for almost thirty minutes," she replied, worry evident in her eyes. "Carlisle thought it would be best to allow you to rest. I watched over you while he admitted Charlie and Renee."

I nodded and inhaled, regretting it instantly, groaning out loud. Bella stirred within my arms, her lashes fluttering over bruised skin under her eyes. Her skin was pale and a thin layer of sweat coated it. The beat of her heart started to increase and I knew she would awaken soon. Alice touched my shoulder again and pointed to an outcropping of trees near the hospital.

Though it was not sunny, she felt I would need the privacy with Bella. I dreaded the conversation that lay ahead, but I knew it was necessary. Would she run screaming after I told her the truth?

I looked at my sister for guidance and she shook her head. "I don't know what happened to change the future so drastically, but I can tell you that she's not angry at you in the vision."

"But she had red eyes and hissed my name?" I said in confusion. "What else could it mean?"

"You're not in the vision," she replied, shaking her head. "Jasper and Emmett are holding her back, but she's talking to someone else." She closed her eyes, showing me once again the vision that changed from the happy, smiling Bella with my sister. The same vision she had shortly after I met Bella. And then it changed to the latest version of the future that lay ahead for Bella.

I went over every nuisance of her vision, the edges of it blurred, as if was not set in stone and only a possibility. Alice was right, I was not in the vision and it had not escaped my notice that both Jasper and Emmett were angry, too. Though their anger was toward someone else and not Bella.

I recognized the background and I opened my eyes to find Alice watching me. "The field where we play baseball," I said warily as I shook my head. "The solution is easy. I will make sure never to take her there."

"And in doing so, you may cause the vision to come true," Alice said with a wary smile. "You know that's not how it works. You can do everything in your power to keep her safe, while leading her toward that future because of an outside source."

Our conversation had lasted less than a few seconds and yet it seemed longer. "Edward," Bella mumbled in her sleep. My time had come to an end; soon, Bella would learn the truth.

"Do you know how she will take it?" I asked as I exited the car with Bella in my arms.

Alice shook her head. "Eventually, it will be fine, Edward." Damn her cryptic messages. She stuck out her tongue and I knew it was to lighten my already dark mood.

I darted across the parking lot, checking in on Carlisle. He was still working on Charlie and a trusted colleague was with Renee, who was on the way to radiology. I knew that once Bella awakened, her concern for her parents would be her first concern.

I inhaled deeply, pain shooting down my throat, but delight enriched my other senses. God, she smelled so good. And as she started to become more alert, I memorized the sound of her heart. It was the most significant sound in my world. It was a rhythmic reminder that she was alive and well.

I brushed my cold lips against her forehead, relieved to feel that her skin was warming again. Taking a moment, I realized why and fear lanced through me. She was killing the life that surrounded us. I ran further into the forest, hoping it was far enough from unsuspecting humans.

Before I could come to a stop, Bella cried out suddenly. Her eyes snapped open and met mine, in the tiny, usually infinitesimal amount of time, I knew she feared me. The force, in which she defended herself, sent us into the air.

I dropped her, but instantly wrapped my arms back around her, creating a cage with my body. We rolled several times, barreling into a tree. She pounded against my chest and screamed, "What did you do with my parents?"

I shook my head and tried to hold her still, assessing our surrounding to ensure her safety. "My father admitted them both into the hospital. They will be all right, Bella."

She stilled, her breath coming in soft pants but ragged, too. Her eyes met mine again and I was lost in them. "Please, do not hate me," I whispered.

Her bottom lip trembled as she pushed against my chest, asking me to release her. She stumbled onto her feet and swayed. I helped her for a bit, to steady her and she allowed me. A sob escaped her when she looked at her still blood-stained hands. She wiped at them furiously against her clothes, tiny hiccups and sobs accompanied her frenzy. "Are you sure about my parents?"

I nodded. "You helped your father, Bella," I murmured. "And your mother, _you_ did it."

"What's wrong with me?" she asked as she cradled her face in the palms of her hands. I did my best to ignore the dried blood that stained her jaw, chin and cheeks. It was a grim reminder of what she could become. "Not only do I have a freakish force field, read thoughts through it, but I can heal people?"

I grimaced and wondered how to explain that it was all a part of her shield. My reaction had not gone unnoticed. Bella pointed at me and asked, "What is it?"

"Your shield is the key," I replied. "For it to grow and become strong, you use the energy that surrounds you to feed that power. Through that power, you can channel it to heal and defend yourself. And it appears to use other's powers. At least mine, it seems."

Her brow tightened as she processed the information. "I'm dangerous," she whispered, averting her eyes. Then they returned to look at me fully, directly. "You're dangerous."

"Yes," I stated simply. "I had warned you, before you lost your memory."

She nodded almost absentmindedly, before she rubbed at the back of her neck. "What happened to those thi—" she looked for some sort of explanation, but I remained silent. She had to come to her own conclusions about the Quileute Tribe. "Werewolves?"

"They ran away."

She nodded again and I probed her thoughts, which caused her to glare at me. "I can tell when you try in invade my mind, so don't," she spat. I remained silent again and I knew she was trying to guess what I was.

"Just tell me!"

"No."

"Why?" she pleaded, her dark eyes on me.

"You will run away from me. I would rather that you come to your own conclusions."

She threw her hands up in frustration and I knew I was not being fair to her. However, I did not want _my _words to be what drove her away. She would have to guess.

"We're in the middle of nowhere," she cried out, turning, almost tripping. "Where am I supposed to run to?"

I shrugged. "Away from me."

She closed her eyes and started to say out loud her thoughts, "You said that the werewolves are your natural enemies."

"That is the way they see us, yes."

"You also said that your entire family has gifts." I nodded again. "You're all supposedly adopted, yet you all have the same color eyes. And I'm assuming that they darken like yours do." Internally, I cringed; of course, she noticed the quirk about our eyes.

"Legends…supposed to be make-believe. Dracula, Nosferatu, Lestat," she murmured and if I had a beating heart, it would have stopped at that very instance.

Her eyes met mine and I hoped it would not be the last time. Instead of calling me what I was, she surprised me. "Take me to the hospital."

I shook my head but she seemed determined, even defiant. "Why? Wait."

Averting her eyes, she continued, "I - I need to be with my parents."

I exhaled sharply, unwilling to comply until the truth was out in the open. "I will take you, but not until you _say_ it."

Her eyes bored into mine, searching for something, though I knew she had not tried to probe my mind. It seemed that she was suddenly afraid to. "Did you do something to me?" she asked curiously. I stood there with my jaw on the floor. "It would explain my gifts. Have you fed from me?"

Perhaps it was frustration, a bit of anger, hurt, and hunger that had me answer her harshly, but I could not stop the words that left my mouth. "If I had, you would be dead." Her wide eyes and trembling bottom lip told me I had gone too far. _Fuck._

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**AN: Okay, from here on out, it will be pretty fast paced. I'm looking at 20 chapters, so wow, almost there. **_  
_


	16. Fear

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Fifteen – Fear**

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**Betaed by kyla713**

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How much had I wanted her to fear me when all this had started? How much had I wished she would run from me? Had I not proved that I could not stay away? She had once said the words that were supposed to drive me away, but instead the pull toward her had become stronger.

I had been deluding myself when I had returned to Forks after running from the lure of her blood. Alice had been right all along; I would never be able to stay away from her. A part of me had pushed her away once that day in the cafeteria and I knew I had sabotaged myself again.

She had every reason to question what was happening to her, even question if I was the cause. Yet, her words, her fear and her lack of trust hurt me more than anything she had ever said to me.

I watched as she stepped back from me, her hands rose as if they could prove an adequate protection from me. I schooled my features, and did the best I could to draw away the darkness in my gaze. I sighed softly, reaching out to touch her, anticipating the feel of the shield that would keep me from her.

There was none. Inexplicably, a part of her trusted me, though the fear that sweetened her blood indicated that she felt she had a reason to run.

She tried not to show her fear, to keep it from her voice, but the salty tang of the tears at the cusp of falling was undeniable. "Can you explain that, please?" A question that yielded a terrible answer, one that would cause the tremble that ran through her to increase in its intensity.

I growled when she took another step from me. So close to running, the last thing she should do when I was so very thirsty. "Do not run," I hissed, my fists clenching against my thighs. I was not positive that I would be able to fight the instinct to hunt if she ran.

Bella's tears lost the battle to remain still, falling from glistening, scared eyes, and had me closing my own and my breath halting. I would do anything to prevent myself from scaring her further. I had done enough of that, the racing beat of her heart was a reminder of the emotional state she was in.

"Please do not run, Bella," I whispered, unable to open my eyes, fearing the look that I would find there. "I will tell you anything you want to know."

"Not yet," she replied softly. My eyes snapped open and found that determination filled her dark eyes. "I have so many questions, concerns…but my parents." I nodded in understanding, the worry I had seen earlier before I carelessly scared her returned in her gaze. "All I ask for now is one question."

"All I ask from you is to answer one of my own." She nodded, waiting. "Are you afraid of me?"

She shook her head, but the fear that ran through her blood had yet to diminish. "Not in the way you may think. I fear the reason you've pursued me."

She was justified in her fear. I was thoroughly amazed that what I was, the monster she had seen even for a fraction of second, was _not_ what concerned her. It was the reason why. I nodded, when in fact I wanted to kneel before her and ask for her forgiveness for not realizing that in having met her, I would never be able to live without her sooner.

"That would require some time for me to explain and it is not the time to have that discussion."

She pursed her lips but agreed. "My question – though now, I'm not sure you can answer yet," she nervously ran her fingers through her hair. "Do you intend to kill me?"

I answered honestly and without much thought. "I do not know." Stepping closer to her, I raised my hands to show her I would not hurt her. "I know it is not something I want." I shook my head as I grazed her cheek, feeling the warmth tingle beneath my fingertips. "I abhor the idea of hurting you, but I am not sure I could stop the future that Alice had seen for _us_."

For a moment, it seemed time had stilled. Her heart skipped a beat, her breathing came to a standstill and her eyes widened. Fleeting emotions came and went in her eyes, fear, confusion and then comprehension. She understood the words I said without thinking clearly. Though, if I was honest with myself, my words were the truth.

"Please know that I love you, Bella," I said in a grave whisper. "A part of me is selfish and wants what anyone like me would want."

She bit her lip, torturing it, causing the rush of blood to stain her mouth. "What is that?"

"All of you – forever."

When I reached out for her hand again, an eternity passed before her fingers pressed into my palm. "Do not be scared," I whispered as I pulled her closer. "If I was to hurt you, it would no doubt destroy me."

She nodded against my chest. "Take me back to the hospital," she said hoarsely. "I'm so tired."

"It would not be wise for you to use your gift at this moment," I said as I pulled her up into my arms. "I must feed."

Curious eyes sought my gaze as her the tips of her fingers skimmed the darkened skin beneath my lashes. "Is this okay?" Her whispered words caressed over the frigidity of my skin, eliciting a tiny tremor of want to run through me. It was an interesting, yet _not _unwanted, reaction, considering my considerable hunger.

"Yes." My beautiful girl had been so distracted by her exploration of my features that she failed to see that I was running through the forest. Though I was thoroughly enchanted by the creature in my arms, other parts of my mind had taken in the damage she caused to the fauna that surrounded us. It was minimal, and nothing the rain that fell almost relentlessly would not help return to its original beauty.

As I approached the hospital, Bella's body stiffened, her arms tightening around my neck. "Oh my God," she said, closing her eyes suddenly. "So fast." I wanted to laugh but I feared to take a breath when I was that close to the source of my desire.

It seemed that Bella was not the only one distracted. Before I could react, Jacob lunged from between a cluster of trees before we reached the hospital parking lot.

Bella and I tumbled through the air as I roared out in anger, her fingers slipping from around my neck. She cried out as her fragile body skidded across the forest floor. In a fraction of a second, I was crouched defensively over her prone body.

She screamed in pain and terror, "Not again!" The tinge of her blood tainted my already strapped control, I growled as I stopped myself from taking another breath of air.

"I will destroy you," I hissed at the trembling pup before me. He was not as large as Paul and Sam and presented very little challenge. His brown and black fur stood on end as he growled through glistening teeth.

"_I won't stand by as you finish making her into one of you," _he thought. His mind was in chaos, flickering through his discussion with Sam and his father. There had been a heated argument with Sam as he left the reservation. Though the treaty prevented them from attacking us on our territory, Jacob was aware that if one of my family bit a human that we would be violating the pact we had made with his grandfather.

Young Jacob Black seemed nothing like the quiet, yet strong, ruling presence of Ephraim Black. His youth seemed to make him even more volatile. And his thoughts betrayed him, the real reason why he was willing to risk the wrath of his elders.

He wanted Bella for himself.

"Bella," I said quietly, adjusting my stance to counter every one of Jacob's minute moves. "You need to run, put your shield up if necessary." From the thoughts of deplorable creature in front of me, I could see her shake her head in protest. Bits of forest debris were imbedded along her arms and even her lovely face. She spat out some dirt and shook her head again, aiming a lethal glare toward the adolescent boy that looked at her with longing. "Please, Bella. Your blood is too much…tempting."

Her eyes shot to the back of my head, fear once again coursed through her. "Can he hurt you?" Only she could surprise me with mere words. I shook my head, and heard Esme and Alice approach. Jacob's ears twitched also aware of my family's attempt to come cautiously closer.

"You are not welcome near her," I growled, using the last of the air I had in my lungs. Though Jacob's eyes were on me, I could see through his mind that he was aware of Bella backing away from us. Hating that I was unable to aid her, she rose to her feet, clutching her side. There was a thin trail of fresh spilt blood at her temple. She winced and shook her head, and I could see a wave of vertigo go through her. She had depleted too much of her own energy to save her parents.

Instinctively, I turned to catch my mate and my back on the enemy. As my arms circled around her, I heard Jacob lunge toward me. It angered me that he would risk Bella, considering her proximity. I watched through his thoughts as he jumped. What I had not expected was the crushing blow he received the moment he felt the perimeter of Bella's shield.

She was protecting us both. I turned swiftly, with Bella safely tucked against my chest. Approximately ten yards in front of us was Jacob's naked body as he trembled from head to toe. Bella moaned softly and her head fell back, watching her intently, I could see the wound on her head start to heal. The bleeding had already stopped.

Alice and Esme approached cautiously, both having recently hunted to replenish what Bella had taken from them earlier at her home. Their golden eyes latched on me as worry etched over their features. "Are you all right?" Esme asked, concerned about my hunger.

"Edward will be all right," Alice whispered. Curiously, I could see that she was able to have a vision while in the presence of Jacob. Their eyes and my own turned to Jacob's fallen body several feet in front of Alice. "We should take him away."

"I don't understand why he immediately transforms when he's close to Bella," Esme said thoughtfully.

"Likely for the same reason that Alice could see the future just now," I said, cradling an unconscious Bella closer.

"Because he's touching the shield," Alice offered. I nodded and crossed what I could feel was the expanse of the protection Bella spread around us. "She's hurting him." I nodded again and wondered if the girl in my arms could actually kill a person with her remarkable defenses. No wonder her mind was shielded. She was lethal.

The boy wolf writhed and Esme turned from the scene in distaste. I knew then I had to put a stop to the boy's torture. I was positive, though Bella feared his kind, she would not want him hurt. Not like that. "Take him to the trees, Alice." She nodded and the moment she moved Jacob well out of Bella's shield range, her defenses dropped.

She sagged in my arms even more, but her dead weight was nothing to the power that still coursed through my arms. Though I was in desperate need of nourishment, somehow, I was not weaker. Was it Bella's doing?

"Go feed," Alice said as she stepped back into view. "Jasper and Emmett will take Jacob back to the border."

"That may be dangerous," I warned.

"Perhaps," Alice replied. "But he can't stay here. He's a danger to her."

I nodded and turned to Esme. "Give her here, Edward." I shook my head twice and knew that I had to do what she said. Hunger gnawed my throat and twisted my stomach. Though I felt that I _could not_ attack Bella, despite my hunger and the lure of her blood, I was a risk to those in the hospital.

Taking a brief moment, I held Bella impossibly closer. The beat of her heart thumped slowly against my chest, the softness and warmth of her are a sharp reminder of our differences. Alice sighed and rubbed my arm gently. "It'll work out, Edward."

I nodded and handed Bella to Esme, taking extra care with her head. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Edward," Alice whispered, averting her eyes. "She's going to wake up confused, and she'll need time."

"I understand." I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

She smiled, holding out her hand. "Her journals, if she reads them, she'll see how much you were on her mind since the moment she laid eyes on you."

"I was?" I asked, removing the small flash drive from my pocket. There had not been enough time for me to read them, and while I was curious of what they held, it also felt wrong to read them. Alice grinned but did not answer.

"Edward," Esme whispered. "I need to get Bella to the hospital. My cell phone has not stopped and your father is worried." I looked at her confused, because I was not preventing her from leaving with Bella. She smiled warmly and looked down to Bella's unconscious form.

My hand was curled around hers. I closed my eyes for a second and rested my forehead on Bella's and whispered, "I will return to you soon, Bella." A soft whimper escaped her, delicate, warm fingers tightened around mine. I pressed my lips to her soft cheek. "Go."

I stood back and watched as Alice and Esme moved toward the hospital. It took a great deal of strength for me to leave her presence. However, I was well aware that I was of no use to her with my hunger being prominent in my mind.

It took a moment for me to realize, my hunger and my love for her were the most dominant thoughts. There was a very thin line between them, for the moment, my feelings for her were strong enough to endure the hunger that lacerated through me as Bella disappeared from my sight.

~oOo~

"Dude," Emmett called from several feet behind me as I disposed of another deer. "Don't you think you're over doing it a bit?"

I shook my head. "If she needs to use energy to heal again, I would rather she use me than to put others at risk." I rubbed my hands together to rid them for the dirt from burying my catch. "What happened at the border?" I asked as I turned to him. He stood, leaning against a tree, watching me warily.

"Sam, the current Alpha, was there to take care of Jacob. Jasper said that he felt that Sam was holding back something."

"I know what it is," I said, throwing my head back to watch the encroaching night overhead. "Jacob is the true Alpha, not Sam. Now that Jacob has undergone the transformation, Sam will have to step down." I had seen the series of thoughts through Jacob for those brief moments as he attacked.

"That is not a good thing," Emmett growled lowly. "He's dangerous. If he's calling the shots, who knows what he'll do."

"That is not all," I murmured, tugging at my hair.

"What else, Edward?" he asked as he walked over to me. "_As if we need any more trouble," _he thought.

I sighed and looked at him again. "Four more boys from the reservation have fallen to the fever."

"Fuck."


	17. Time

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Sixteen –Time**

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**Betaed by kyla713**

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Jasper approached from the west, cautiously, no doubt sensing my chaotic thoughts. Alice had to be suffering from the constant shifts in my future. Indecision often led to headaches.

A part of me wished to leave my family and flee with Bella to where no one could find us. It was selfish of me, considering I had been with them for almost a century, collectively. Another part wanted to destroy any and all threats to Bella's well-being. That part wanted to spill blood and lusted over the idea of carnage.

They had caused my Bella unspeakable pain, seeing her parents in such a way would stay with her forever.

"Edward," Jasper said, nodding curtly. "We need to talk."

"I have to get back to Bella," I said as I turned toward the hospital.

"This is important, Edward," he stated firmly, placing a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me. "It concerns all of us."

I shrugged his arm off, aware that his gift had little effect on me. His eyes widened and his lips thinned considerably. "It is true, then."

Emmett stalked toward us, boxing me between them. "What's true?"

Jasper's eyes remained on me as he explained. "The longer Edward spends in her mind, the less my power works on him."

Emmett looked confused for less than a second before he realized what it meant. "Your power doesn't work on the human anymore?"

"Not since this morning," he answered carefully. "However, it could've been longer. I haven't had the pleasure of her company until recently."

I growled and stepped away from the both. His thoughts were clear and he was unsuccessful in hiding them from me completely. "I will not let her die!" I roared.

"So you've made your choice," he said warily. "You'll make her one of us?"

I shook my head. Two parts inside me warred within. The desire to keep her forever was all encompassing; however, I longed to keep her human –for her to keep her soul.

My lack of response was answer enough. "If that is the case," Jasper continued. "I must object. We will have no control over her once the transformation is complete. She could slaughter hundreds with her considerable gifts. And even if we managed to contain her during her newborn period, who is to say she can't destroy us?"

"She only takes our energy," I offered.

"As a human," Jasper stated. "If she becomes one of us, then there is no way of knowing what she'd be able to do. You must see this. She is a threat!"

I growled and turned from him and Emmett. "Whatever happens in the future, it will be because I chose it and she chooses this life. I will never take that choice from her. Let me make myself clear, _our_ choice."

Before he could respond, I disappeared into the trees, running at my top speed toward Bella. Carlisle stood at the hospital's main entrance. His eyes were grim, his thoughts hidden from me. The familiar smell of disinfectant, blood and decay wafted through the doors.

"You shouldn't come inside," he said softly so that I would be the only one to hear. "She's very confused."

"I will see her," I replied firmly. Why would he keep her from me?

He shook his head, remorse filling his eyes. "She doesn't want you to come to her." I stilled, every muscle of my body tensed as I awaited the words that would destroy me. "As I said, she's confused. She doesn't know what she wants. And she pointed out that her gift intensifies when you are near. It's something I hadn't even put together."

"She scared of me," I said in a tone that spoke of finality.

Carlisle shook his head again. "Not of _you_. Of what happens to her when you're close."

"I do not understand."

"She can't control her _need_ to protect you within her shield, which of course, has the adverse effect of making you thirsty and hurting the life around her."

I was dumbfounded. She worried for _my_ safety. Why should that surprise me?

"She's with her parents," he said worriedly. "I have to ask you to stay away for a while. She's a threat to everyone on that floor."

"I would not hurt her," I said simply as I shook my head. "And I cannot stay away. I have tried."

"I'm simply asking you to stay far enough away that you do not trigger her shield." I would only comply since it was her wish, too.

I nodded and asked, "Could you give her my cell number, please?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Edward. Alice lent her a laptop and she's reading her journals."

"Can you tell her that I'd like to talk to her?"

"I will. Are you going to be nearby?"

"Yes."

"I'll let her know that, too." He turned and walked into the hospital. I looked up to the room that I had seen in his thoughts. There I could see her watching me.

Her small hand pressed lightly against the glass, and if I read her correctly, there was just as much longing in her eyes as there were questions. And I promised myself, I would answer every one of them.

Though she was too far for me to touch, I recognized the rhythm of her heart and whisper of my name. After a few moments, she turned back, sensing from Carlisle's thoughts, he had returned to her.

In moments, Alice appeared by my side. "Can you still see her future?" I had no more doubts in my mind. She would become one of us – soon.

"Sometimes," she said thoughtfully. "Not hers or yours directly, but I can see hers through Carlisle's and my own." Taking my hand in hers, she relayed Bella's cell phone number. "Call her."

I nodded as she walked toward the hospital's entrance, stopping just outside of it. She turned back, her eyes closing for a few moments. She sighed, hiding the vision, but I managed to catch a glimpse. It was me with Bella on my back as I ran through the forest. Alice and Jasper were running behind us, not chasing us, but merely protecting my precious cargo.

"Alice?" I said in question as she shut me out. "What are we running from?"

She turned in my direction as Jasper appeared beside me. "Think about it," he said. "If Jacob is going to be a problem, we can't stay."

Alice gave me a soft smile. "If she's with you when we leave—" she trailed off, her words giving me hope.

"It is because she will join me."

Alice nodded and added, "That vision of her as one of us is gone. It disappeared once the wolves became involved. I can't seem to see more than a few hours ahead where she's concerned. I'm sorry."

Taking her hand in mine, I kissed her cheek. "You are doing the best you can. So much has changed in the last few days, but you've given me hope. Thank you."

Alice huffed after a moment, hearing the same thing I picked up. "Jasper," I said, looking at him as he crouched in defense. "What can you pick up from them?"

"Hostility, fear and some doubt."

I opened my mind to the two young wolves that stood watch near the tree line. It was then that we felt the push of Bella's shield. I looked up at the window where she stood earlier. Carlisle and Bella spoke in whispers, her hands clenched at her sides. Her eyes zeroed in on the wolves that had come to report back to Jacob. Carlisle was trying to calm her down so that she would drop her physical shield.

"The pack is dividing," I said soft enough so that only Jasper and Alice would hear. "Jacob has two other wolves on his side, perhaps another. They are all younger than he."

"Weaker," Jasper hissed. "They'd follow him because they don't know any better."

"I agree."

"What do we do now?" Alice asked, trying to search everyone's future, but it appeared futile.

"Stand watch over her," Jasper and I said in unison.

"She'll go to school tomorrow," Alice indicated. "Hope you're ready."

"Why?"

She shook her head, blurry, still dream-like images of Bella and I in our Biology class flitted through her thoughts. "Not sure, but I think something is going to happen tomorrow."

"Something seems to be happening to her daily. She is in constant danger, no matter what I do to prevent it." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Her parents?" I asked, watching her at the window. Her eyes met mine, her expression a mask of confusion and wonder. I had no doubt in my mind that she understood that we were discussing her.

"Will be fine," Alice answered as she sighed. "She doesn't want _any_ of us there. Her shield is too dangerous and we seem to automatically make it go up." She waved at Bella, earning a tiny one in return. Confusion had her brow furrowing as she cocked her head to one side.

Bella whispered, though her voice was soft I was so attuned to it that it carried over all the other sounds around me. "Call me, Edward."

I nodded in answer. "Had she read her journals?"

Alice smiled. "She'll come around, Edward." Taking her husband's hand, they left in Carlisle's car since we thought it would be best not to give a reason for the young wolves to attack. For the moment, they were merely there to report to Jacob once they returned to the reservation. It seemed that they were waiting for us to leave, as if I could. Bella's defense had severely drained him of energy, though his abilities had him healing faster than a human.

The fool had his own pack revealing all their secrets to me. I dialed her number and watched as Bella picked up immediately.

"Are you safe?" she asked softly, her hand once again on the window.

I shook my head in disbelief. "Do not worry about me, Bella." Though I turned my back on the wolves, I was well aware of every thought and move of their bodies. "How are your parents?"

Bella gave me a small smile and shrugged. "Dr. Cullen said they'll be fine. My mom woke up, but she kinda freaked out so he had her sedated."

"She remembers what she'd seen."

"I'm afraid so," she murmured. "Is your family going to hurt them?"

I shook my head. "It is not my family that you need to be concerned about. There are others that would not allow them to live with the knowledge."

"They wouldn't tell anyone," she said defensively.

I sighed. "I know they would not," I said, running my hand through my hair. "But they would be considered a threat."

"I won't let you or anyone else hurt them." Her tone was defensive though fear laced her voice. "I may not be like you, but I can protect them if I need to."

"Not without hurting yourself," I growled in anger. "If there is nothing around for your shield to take energy from, it turns itself on you and those within your protection!"

"I will not allow them to die for your secrets."

"I could not tell you for the same reason that your parents should not know now. And I feared you would run away. Most would."

She gave me a small smile and shook her head. "I may not have my memories, but I know that I would've kept your secrets. And then together, we would've made sure my parents never were exposed to your world."

"To what extent? The only way we could have stayed together is if you became like me and you would have lost everything."

"I would've had you." The last quiver of her words hung in the air as my phone signaled that she had disconnected the call.

When I tried to call her back, she stood away from the window and refused to answer. I growled in frustration as I stepped toward the entrance. The phone chimed, a text, where she said not to come up. A moment later, another came through.

_I need time, please._

Only she would ask me something that could literally tear me apart. Had she any idea how it nearly killed me to be away from her? How much I worried?

I sighed and stalked toward the parking lot once again, until her window came into view. Though she was not there, I knew she was watching. And not only me, but the wolves that remained for several more minutes.

One of them, smaller than those I had encountered earlier. They were very young and would no doubt face a regrettable future. There was no resistance in my mind, if they attempted to hurt Bella or her family, they would die by my hands.

And if the wolf pack continued to try to come between Bella and myself, there would be consequences. Before leaving, one of the wolves leveled me a glare, his thoughts loud and clear. "We'll have to tell Jacob that the leech is still hanging around his girl."

The other tossed his head side to side. "Did you see how she looked at us? She won't come to Jacob willingly."

The other, Collin responded with a sneer, "They all do in the end."

In less than a second, I ran toward them, but they were gone by the time I reached the tree line. I growled as I debated going after them. My cell phone in my pocket chimed that I had received another message from Bella.

_Please don't go after them. You could get hurt._

The choice was out of my hands. I would not go against her wishes, since it was a miracle in itself that she even worried for me. Though if she knew what I was capable of, perhaps she would not be frightened of my safety. My capabilities could also scare her away. She had only seen a glimpse of them since her accident.

I slowly walked back toward the hospital enough for her to see me for a moment. At the window, I could see her take in a deep breath in relief once she had seen me move out from the darkness that had fallen over Forks.

I wanted to talk to her, hear her voice and hold her once again. I craved the sanctuary of her mind and the scent of her. Not for the thirst that riddled me every time I breathed in her, but the reminder that she was alive and thriving.

And she was, even after that had happened. Bella was at peak physical health and all of the tiny scars I had seen on her body that one night in her room were disappearing with every manifestation of her shield.

Another chime and it was her again, the message was a simple thank you and good night. If only she knew that I had not slept since my transformation. With a small nod and smile, I stepped back into the darkening tree line and stood watch over her under the cover of the night.

~oOo~

I finally understood why Emmett became frustrated with Rosalie often. Bella had a temper and a stubborn streak that would even put my sister to shame. She had refused a ride to school with me or with my father, or anyone else in my family.

Bella's parents had made a remarkable recovery, with one exception. Renee had no idea how she ended up in the hospital. Though Charlie seemed more reluctant to share how he felt with Carlisle, it was clear in his mind, he knew exactly what we could be. Thankfully, my family had made the needed repairs to Bella's house while her neighbors slept, oblivious to anything.

Carlisle had fed a story to the deputy and Charlie had gone along with it. There was a minor carbon monoxide leak at his house where both him and Renee lost consciousness when Bella and I had found them. Bella and Charlie answered questions in monosyllables and both seemed to abhor lying.

After Carlisle had cleared that Charlie and Renee should be able to be released the following day, Bella had left in her father's cruiser to run errands. She went grocery shopping, made several calls on her parents' behalf, and called her mother's husband to let him know that Renee would be home soon. And she had done it all before school had even started.

Once she arrived at school and remained there, I went home after spending all morning tailing her, to change. When I returned to the campus, I had come to find that Bella had gone out of her way to avoid my family. Something that Rosalie actually enjoyed, since she thought that Bella was not capable of being so damn infuriating.

For her first period, which we had together, thanks to Alice, she had arrived seconds before class started. And she had grabbed a seat at the very back of the classroom. Much farther than I had wanted. I pulled out my cell phone and started to type up a message.

"_She's not even looking at him," _Lauren thought smugly. _"I bet they're not even together."_

Bella's head suddenly snapped to Lauren in a glare. It was then that I realized that Bella could piggy back on my gift without my notice. Her dark eyes slowly drifted to me for a few moments before she shook her head and turned back to her notebook.

_How frustrating!_

"Edward," I heard her whisper softly, loud enough for only me to hear. "Can you try not to listen to them?" When she looked up, I shook my head from side to side. "You mean every thought of every person around you, all the time?" I dropped my head once to answer. She sighed and grimaced as Lauren fantasized of sitting my lap and making me forget all about Bella.

"She does not look like that in real life," Bella said with a giggle. "If she did, I doubt that Tyler would want to go to prom with me."

I stilled and met her wide eyes. She remembered. Bella's eyes rolled in the back of her head as she slumped forward, hitting her head on her desk. Before she slipped under, she said quietly, "I'm so going to flunk."

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**AN: Grrr. The story has taken a wide detour! So instead of the intended twenty chapters, I don't see an end until maybe twenty-five chapters, maybe thirty. Damn characters made me do it. Thanks to my lovely kyla713 and bookishqua for helping me firm up the direction of this story. **


	18. Awake

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Seventeen – Awake**

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**Betaed by kyla713**

* * *

Thanks to the attention Bella procured by her less than graceful fall that not only had her hitting her head on the desk, but slumping until she slipped onto the floor, no one noticed me run across the room.

"Bella?" I asked against her ear as I crouched beside her. "Give her room please." It was a directive immediately met by the other students. When she did not respond, I took her in my arms and out the door in a few seconds, cursing the need to keep up human pretenses. Our English teacher instructed for me to take her to the nurse's office immediately. I simply nodded in response.

Perhaps I would have gone there first if it was not for the fact that her shield had instantly shot up at its full force. I staggered at the energy she was draining from me to heal or to fight off Jasper's attempt to calm her.

From around the corner, Alice and Jasper skidded to a halt in front of me. "Jasper," I said as he approached.

"Alice warned me to try to put her to sleep, that the memories would overwhelm her."

I nodded and waited as he reached out for Bella, but he gasped and fell onto his knees, when his eyes met mine, I could see the golden eyes that afflicted my family turn to a murky brown then to startling black. Alice gasped beside me, grabbing her husband's arm, no doubt sensing that he had to leave immediately. It was almost as if he had not fed in months.

"Leave," I said briskly, running toward my car. "I'll take her to Carlisle." Alice apologized as she struggled to get Jasper to follow her instead of Bella and I. Emmett bounded over, having overheard the conversation over the usual chatter of the students and facility. His arms wrapped around Jasper's chest from behind, whispering in his ear.

"Go!" Alice said, holding a hand against Jasper's chest. "I won't be able to hold him back."

Rosalie walked over slowly, taking in the situation with a quick glance. "Edward," she hissed. "You need to do something about her. She's causing the whole school to question what the hell we're _doing_ to her."

I nodded and slipped a nearly unconscious Bella into the passenger side. However, when I attempted to let her go, her hands gripped my shirt suddenly with surprising strength. She looked dazed but her eyes focused on mine, her lips thinly pursed. "You really wanted to kill me!"

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. Relief filled me when her eyes rolled back and she fell against the seat once again. Fear overwhelmed me as her words sunk in. She had to have remembered that first day in the biology classroom.

I ran around my car, sliding behind the wheel and quickly drove out of the student parking lot when the school principle ran in our direction. Thankfully, Rosalie went to intercept, letting her know that it would be best for Bella to be taken to our father.

As I drove away, I strived to come to terms with what had happened and what it would mean for our future. What if, knowing everything that occurred before her memory loss that she realized she feared me too much to be with me?

It would be for the best. Maybe her gifts would cease since the wall that manifested earlier disappeared. All except the usual one that guarded her thoughts from me. When I needed my gift the most, I was at a loss. Without the knowledge hidden in her mind, I had no idea how to proceed. What if I pushed her too far, too fast? It was futile. Even in her current state, her mind was closed to me.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, I answered, "Carlisle."

"Bring her to the house. It's not safe to take her to the hospital or her house. Charlie and Renee have already returned there. And that's not all. Jacob, Sam and Billy insisted on accompanying them."

"What?" I roared, instantly regretting it. Bella moaned and she curled up in a fetal position as shudders wracked her body. _Had I scared her?_ I bit back the spew of expletives that threatened to spill forth, the situation certainly called for it.

"You have to remember Renee says she doesn't remember anything, but Charlie does. He seemed reluctant to listen to them and only agreed when Esme said she'd join them."

"We both know what they want to do once they are no longer in our presence."

"Tell Charlie and Renee exactly what you and the rest of the family are."

"They have no idea that Charlie already knows," I said, realizing something else. "I am sure that Billy would not allow anything to happen in front of Bella's parents."

"The others said they'd stand watch from outside if needed. I'll head over there once I've examined Bella." I could not even think of what Carlisle must be feeling, to have to watch Esme leave with them, knowing that she would be the only one to stand up against Jacob if he chose to attack.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," I stated before ending the call.

When I arrived at the house, Bella's body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, making her scent more potent. She thrashed against my hold, calling me a liar over and over. "Why didn't you save me again?" she whispered as she gave up fighting.

Any words of comfort that I could have provided were lost in my jumbled state. Something was wrong with her, not only had her memory returned but her body temperature had increased by almost five degrees since we left the campus.

I carried into her dining room, placing her on the table as Carlisle rushed to our side. "Her heart rate is double what it should be. Her BP is high and she's running a fever," he stated as if she was just a patient. I knew he was only doing his job, but I needed to know he would do everything to save her. I stepped away, watching as he took her vitals. "Her shield?"

"I cannot read her thoughts, but her physical shield seemed to have disappeared."

"I was afraid of this," Carlisle said softly, cuffing a blood pressure monitor to Bella's warm.

"Afraid of what?"

"She's human, Edward." He turned away, finishing with the cuff and placing it aside. "Her body isn't meant to handle her gifts. It's too much. Her body is fighting against it and probably sees the changes as foreign. Perhaps they're natural gifts never meant to be unleashed unless she'd been changed."

I laughed darkly. "Are you trying to say that she was never meant to stay human?"

"She's your mate," he offered harshly. "So yes, that is exactly what I think. Though I still fear what will happen when she's turned, if this continues, you may not have a choice."

I was not about to have that discussion while Bella writhed on the table in obvious pain. "Do something." Carlisle merely nodded and pulled out a syringe filled with morphine. "Why do you think her powers are gone?"

I hardly flinched with the needle pricked the thin veil of skin. Her blood was secondary and had meant little to me while she in such a state. Carlisle stood back as we both watched as Bella's body visibly relaxed after a few minutes. I climbed onto the table, holding her close, wishing I had thought about purchasing a bed for my bedroom. She deserved to lie in silk and rich cotton than the harsh, hard wood beneath her.

"Her body is waging a war against itself."

I had thought the same. "What does that mean for her?"

"Right now, I don't know, Edward. I'm hoping that she'll wake up and be normal. Well, normal for her. If she's still capable, she'll have to refrain from trying to use her powers though, until we're sure."

"In other words we have to wait and see."

He nodded and said he would put his own bed in my room until it was safe to return Bella to her home. With Charlie and Renee there, it would not be safe until we were sure her powers had ceased.

I was not sure what I wanted. For her powers to disappear, would mean that it would be safe to change her, if or when, she was ready. However, the idea that she would no longer be able to protect herself, from me and any threat against her, left me even more frightened for her safety.

I knew we would have to leave here to change her, and that we would never be able to return as long as a Black remained in La Push. The treaty clearly stipulated that we were not allowed to bite a human, which meant that we could not change anyone either.

When we had encountered his grandfather decades earlier, there had been only five of us. They had already questioned if we had changed Alice and Jasper when we first arrived. Some of the tribe believed that we had violated the treaty if we had.

After an hour, Bella's temperature and body seemed to have completely succumbed to the morphine and rested beside me. Carlisle murmured that the bed was ready, and when I pulled her into my arms the house phone rang.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow when he had seen the caller id – Charlie. I sighed and wondered when Charlie would interfere. Not that I blamed him, he was a father and I had his daughter. Unable to come up with anything plausible to say to him, I turned toward the stairs and made my way up quickly.

Once I reached my room, Carlisle had answered. Though I kept an ear to the conversation, my attention was focused on Bella. On the golden sheets were a set of clothes for her. I cringed at the thought of changing her. Not because I could not keep my thoughts from turning toward an ungentlemanly direction, but because of her reaction to me earlier. I had my doubts that she would appreciate me changing her clothes. However, she would also be embarrassed of her state of clothing, drenched in sweat.

I laid her carefully on the bed and went to the adjoining master bath to wet a few wash clothes to bathe her as best as I could. From downstairs, I could hear as Carlisle explained to Charlie that it was dangerous for Bella to be around people.

And Charlie's question had Carlisle and I stilling. "Did your boy already change her?" There was no question about it. Charlie knew what we were and wondered if his daughter was becoming one of us.

"No, Charlie," Carlisle answered. "Perhaps it would be best if I explain in person."

"Is it a good idea to leave them _alone_?" I smiled to myself, wondering if Charlie thought that despite what I was that I still had the same urges as any normal boy.

Carlisle laughed softly. "I assure you, that Edward is very old fashioned. His only concern is Bella's welfare."

If only Carlisle knew. Even as I stood at the doorway of my bedroom, I struggled to remain as "old-fashioned" as possible. I knew what lay beneath the cover of her long sleeved shirt, and though it had been only days earlier, I craved to see all that soft, warm skin again. I sighed and tapped down everything that would have Charlie pull out his shot gun to test if I was immune to bullets.

"That wasn't what I was referring to, Carlisle, and you know it. Time and time again, the boy has been around her when trouble strikes. It doesn't take a genius to figure things out. He's been there each and every time for a reason. I want to know why."

"As I said before," Carlisle said after a brief pause. "Perhaps it would be best to discuss this in person. I assure you that Edward's survival depends on your daughter and he wouldn't do anything that could hurt her. In fact, he'd go out of his way to ensure she'd never hurt again."

There were a few tense seconds of silence before Bella's father sighed almost regrettably. "All right, Carlisle. I'm trusting _you_. So far, your family hasn't given me a reason to believe that you'd hurt her, but you have to understand, Billy told me the story of the third wife at the hospital. I know what your kind is capable of."

The legend was one we heard of, too. The sacrifice that the woman had given to save her people was inspiring to us as it was to the tribe when Jacob's grandfather had told us the first time we met him as we negotiated over territorial rights.

"Hurting your daughter is the farthest thing from Edward's mind," Carlisle offered. And internally, I heard his brief thought, _now. _I did not blame him; had I not thought of killing her several times the first day I met her?

After a brief moment, Charlie sighed and grumbled, "He loves her."

"Yes." Carlisle's response warmed me in a way I had not expected. His acceptance of my feelings for Bella seemed to put my mind somewhat at ease. At least someone besides Alice and Esme believed that she was meant for me. It was a shame that I still did not believe I deserved her.

With that, they made arrangements for Carlisle to visit. My father would have to take precautions since Jacob refused to leave the house with Esme present. Upon ending the call, he dialed Alice to ask if she and Jasper would meet them there, only to find that they were waiting for him. I sighed and hoped something good would come out of the mess.

Slowly, I walked over with a handful of dry and wet towels. Bella's heartbeat was slow and steady, her temperature still a little higher than normal, but otherwise, seemed better. Yet, she remained asleep.

I asked my question out loud, knowing Carlisle was listening, "Why is she still unconscious?"

"_Her body and mind are in essence rebooting after a crash, Edward. As I said, I believe if she avoids using her gifts, then she should recover normally. Though, that is only a guess at this point. And there is a chance her powers have disappeared all together."_

I whispered, "Thank you."

As I moved toward the bed, her thoughts were still closed to me. And when I attempted to invade her mind, I was met with the wall that had been there since the beginning and not the red wall that had been a side effect of her accident.

Would she remember how I had not saved her from falling? I would not lie to her any longer, so I would have to tell her that I had been the cause of her fall, and that I orchestrated the events that led her to move away from Mike in disgust.

Would she forgive me?

I moved to her feet and carefully removed her shoes. Taming the need to caress the pale pink arch of her foot, I removed her socks as well. Swallowing harshly, I unbuttoned her jeans, but kept my eyes on her face instead.

Though that helped little, even without the power she held in her eyes, I was mesmerized as she, for lack of a better word, slept. _Dear God_, I groaned internally. Why was it that everything inside of me warred against my better judgment?

She had been hurt, I should not be thinking like a hormonal teenage boy. But I was a man and my eyes fell to where my hands delved beneath her jeans to start to remove her jeans. I tugged on the fabric, surprised at how loose she wore them when her legs were slender and beautiful.

Why did she hide all of herself? I thought back to all the awkward moments where some boy would compliment her and she would shy away from it. Was it possible that she did not see herself as beautiful?

Shaking the thoughts from my mind, I tossed her jeans aside. I did my best to keep my eyes from her unclothed sections of her body, watching her covered chest rise and fall instead. That was a mistake. It seemed my touch elicited a rather potent reaction.

She was cold.

I hurried over to my nightstand where I had laid the towels earlier; rushing so that Bella would not be cold. At that moment, I hated that my touch was much colder than hers. As I took a warm, wet towel, I wondered if I could do what I was about to do. I started from her feet, admiring her toes, surprised to find them painted dark blue. They wiggled a little as she tried to pull away from my touch, which I did not understand.

Then she giggled. Bella was ticklish and the idea of it brought a small smile to my lips.

"You know," she whispered suddenly. Surprised, I looked up to see her half-lidded eyes on me. "You seem to have a habit of touching or kissing me while I'm asleep. It's kinda creepy."

"I'm sorry." What else was I supposed to say when I was literately caught red-handed?

She looked slightly confused as her eyes fluttered closed again. "I must be dreaming," she whispered before settling her head back on the pillow, falling asleep again. It had to be the morphine talking.

I heard Carlisle chuckle downstairs before he said he was leaving. With Bella more aware than I originally thought, I moved a little faster. How was I supposed to explain if I had her unclothed if she woke up again?

I gently drew the wet washcloth along her feet and up her to knees before I reached for another towel. She remained unconscious as I worked slowly up her thighs.

It was best that she remained in her undergarments. I could imagine seeing and hearing Emmett roll his eyes as he said, "Panties, Edward. They're called panties." At that moment, however, they were undergarments.

Finishing with her legs and feet, I worked some socks and jeans back on her. The fit was slimmer than what she usually wore. I stood back and hoped that Alice would not try to buy Bella clothes as fitting as most of the female school populace. The attention my love garnered in her normal attire was hard enough to ignore.

I moved to the hem of her shirt but stilled, and instantly, the images of her changing in her room ran through my thoughts. Groaning in self-disgust, I shook my head and carefully drew the shirt over her stomach and chest.

Her breath caught as my fingers accidently brushed over her bra. I swallowed and cursed myself in every language and tried to tell myself that it was _not _on purpose. With the lightest touches possible, I removed her long-sleeved shirt, eliciting a reaction I had not considered. Tiny bumps raised along her the tops of her breasts and her arms. I found myself having to step away for several moments, to keep myself from running a fingertip along her skin to see what would happen.

I cleared my throat and understood why it seemed to be a common occurrence when men were around attractive women. Swallowing the venom that had filled my mouth since I had started the task of bathing her, I returned to her side. I swore when I saw how cold she seemed to be. She was not making my job any easier.

And her bra would remain in place. I might have been raised as a gentleman, but I was still a man. And everything about Bella called to me, to the side that I had once thought lay dormant. And it had been as frozen as the rest of me, until she entered my life.

Task done, I decided to lie beside her. The soft, soothing sound of her breathing as she slept lolled me to a sense of contentment. However, I knew that the moment she awoke, things might not go as planned.

And I had plans. All of them included the brown-haired girl that slept beside me.

~oOo~

It had been almost two hours before someone had finally arrived home. From downstairs, I heard Alice approach the stairs slowly, her mind blocked by a Hebrew translation of War and Peace. I sighed, because something had happened or was about to. Whatever it was, obviously she knew it would upset me. As she stood outside my bedroom door, I fingered a curl of Bella's hair and wondered if she would continue to remain that close to me once she awakened.

"Come in, Alice," I said, my eyes never leaving Bella's lovely face as she slept.

Alice sighed, smiling softly as she opened the door and entered the room. "How is she?"

"She seems to have recovered but she still sleeps."

Alice laughed and made her way to side of the bed. "I can order you a bed if you'd like?"

Whatever she was trying to keep from me, it had to be bad. "That would be nice, thank you. I am surprised to find that you had not thought of doing so already."

She shrugged as she ran a fingertip along Bella's arm, sighing softly. It was then that realized that she was mourning the best friend she would have found in Bella had I not pushed her away.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, taking Alice's had in mine. "I know you said after the van incident that you were going to love her, too." A smile formed on her face, showing lots of teeth. "But it seems that may still be possible."

She shrugged. "I love her already. For now, because of what she's done for you. But yes, we'll become friends…if –"

I tensed. "If what, Alice?"

"If you can give her time."

"What?" I said gravely.

"You'll have to stay away for a while."

"How long?"

Alice shook her head and patted my hand. "I'm not sure, but it's not going to be easy. So I'd appreciate it if you listen to her and understand where she's coming from."

"I cannot stay away from her, Alice," I hissed. "Ask me anything else and I would do it in a heartbeat, but not that."

"The future is more uncertain than ever."

Shaking my head, I returned my gaze to my Bella. "What happened with her parents?"

"Billy, Jacob and Sam have asked that she be told everything," she stated. "And they will tell her what they think she needs to hear. If after that, she is still willing to be with you then they'll back off. In other words, they won't leave until Bella's heard what they have to say." I rolled my eyes. We all knew that Jacob would not make that easy. "That's exactly what I thought and Jasper could see that Billy and Sam were being honest."

"But not Jacob."

She shook her head. "It was taking every bit of Jacob's control to remain in his human form. Carlisle and Esme are with Bella's parents. Charlie had hoped that Renee wouldn't find out, but apparently, she's not stupid."

I grinned. I had thought for a brief moment that she may have been lying when she had told Carlisle that she had no memory of how she had been injured. That meant her parents were in danger. And we would have to deal with it eventually.

"Can you at least tell me when she'll awaken?"

"In a few minutes."

I nodded and watched as Alice walked toward my bedroom door. "She loves you, Edward," she offered. "She just doesn't really know it yet."

I sighed as she left and turned back to my beloved, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. I shifted to sit on the side of the bed since I figured it would be best once she awoke. If what Alice had said, I knew that what was about to happen could potentially hurt me.

As her lashes fluttered against the apple of her cheeks, color started to rise to the surface of her skin. "Oh God," she moaned. "My head." Her hands cradled her head as she took several deep breaths.

"Bella?" I stopped myself from reaching for her; it was hard to see the pain that had her eyes closing again.

She startled and scrambled onto her backside, shifting so she sat back against the headboard. Her hands reached out for a pillow, as if provided her with some form of protection. It would have been humorous if it had not been for the fear that flooded her blood suddenly.

"Your eyes are black." She was so very observant. I concluded that had she would have figured out what I was eventually, even if I had avoided using any of my considerable gifts in front of her.

"I will not hurt you," I offered softly.

"They're the same color as that first day," she murmured.

I closed my eyes and sighed. When I opened them, I found her gaze on me, questions written all over her face. "I was not prepared for you. Perhaps if I had known –" I shook my head and closed my eyes for a moment. "No. Nothing would have prepared me for that day. Your scent," Looking back up at her, I saw her eyes narrow. "I had never come across something I wanted so much, ever."

"My blood." I nodded and tentatively reached for her, her hand lying on her lap moved to take mine in hers. "Why did you leave?"

"I tried to convince myself that I could stay away, and later, that I was pathetic that I allowed a human girl undermine my control. I returned because I wanted to prove I was strong enough to resist."

"And you were," she whispered, tracing her fingers along my own. I basked in her warm, feather-light touch and desperately craved for more. "After the van almost squished me." I cringed, loathing all the time I wasted in my attempt to keep her at arm's length after the incident. "Why did you save me?"

"A part of me believed that I had done it, because if your blood spilled that day, I would have exposed myself and family and that we would have to leave." She nodded, biting her lip, looking away quickly. "But that had not occurred to me until after. At the moment I realized the van would hit you, all I could think was that I could not watch you die."

Her shoulders that had drawn up as I had explained, relaxed. "Why did you stay away after?"

"I was going to leave for good after." Her eyes snapped to mine and pain was easily read in them. It provided me with an inkling of hope. "I would have left, but my family believed you were a liability. I had remained to ensure that you would not say anything. A part of me wanted to stay, too. To watch over you."

"That doesn't answer my question," she said, pursing her lips.

I smiled gently and squeezed her hand. "Alice, as you know can see the future. She saw two possible futures."

"I see."

I looked at her questionably. "Do you?" How could she possibly know what our future would lead with so little clues?

She shrugged, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Well it's obvious to me, either you would've succeeded and left Forks and would forget about me. Or you would've killed me."

I placed the tip of my finger under her chin until her eyes met mine again. "You're half right."

Biting her lip, she ran her free hand over her face and hair. "What else then?"

"Alice saw you as one of us."

"Oh." She blushed furiously and laughed nervously. "Because your family stopped you before you killed me?"

"No, Bella, she saw you as part of our family, as my mate."

Her eyes widened and her hand left mine immediately. "Your what?"

I scrambled for the words. "I knew what I was starting to feel for you, that not only was I intrigued but beguiled. I wanted you but I had not recognized my feelings, not at first. Not until that night I snuck in your room."

She winced and closed her eyes. "Do you do that a lot?" she asked, one of her eyes opening just a bit.

"No?" Her arms crossed over her chest as an eyebrow rose in question. "Not until recently, after you had turned away from me."

"That wasn't my fault," she said in a firmer tone. Her heart rate started to accelerate. "You kept lying to me. You asked me to stay away and told me that we shouldn't be friends."

"Don't you see, Bella," I said, pleading and taking her hand once again. "By trying to stay away, the future that Alice had seen would not come true. At the time, I did not want you to become one of us, to share this perpetually dark existence with me."

"Then why?" she asked, confusion masking her face once again. "Why did you try to get me talk to you again?"

"I simply could not stay away."

"Because you love me," she said softly. She exhaled sharply then sat up straighter as if she realized something. "You said 'at the time', does that mean you want that future now?"

I tried to read her, but met the usual protection of her thoughts. Remembering my promise to her and myself, I was honest. "Before all this happened, had there been a way for you to retain your humanity and share forever with me, then I would've wanted that future with you. However, it's not possible. But neither is an eternity without you. So yes, Bella, I want a future with you, even if you became like me."

"My powers aren't working," she said after a few quiet minutes.

That was what she chose to say? "You have the uncanny ability of driving me insane since I do not know what you are thinking."

She cocked an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "I learned from the best, Mr. Cryptic." She had me there. Her eyes met mine and frowned. "I don't think this the first time something strange had happened to me when I had a head injury."

"What?"

She shrugged. "Accident prone, remember. I've had four concussions, though nothing as severe as this last one. Each time after them, something happened. And nothing as big, just my mom or a nurse or two that passed out suddenly around me. A wave of dizziness, incidents like that. I guess that all makes sense now." She shook her head, looking back down at our intertwined hands as she continued to explain. "I never fit in anywhere and I always felt like a freak. I guess I was right."

"Bella, you are speaking to a vampire, and I hardly believe anyone would think you were the freak."

She raised her eyes to mine again. "Can you control your gift?"

I shrugged and replied, "Not really. I hear everyone's thoughts all the time. I have only learned to tune them out over the years."

"But they can't physically hurt someone, can they?"

I only shook my head, earning a sad smile. For several minutes, neither of us said a word. My need to know her thoughts overwhelmed me. "Tell me what you are thinking."

"Right now, I'm thinking, I need to go home."

"It's not safe. We have to be sure that you will not hurt your parents."

"I'm fine, Edward," she said firmly. "You can't keep me from checking on Charlie or my mom."

"The wolves will be there."

She growled and her hand fisted in my own. "That's all the more reason for me to go home."

And as her anger raised, so did her body temperature. "Stop that, Bella," I replied. "Carlisle thinks its best that you do not try to use your powers or exert yourself."

"I said they aren't working."

"Maybe now," I said curiously. As I tapped into her mind, the wall that erected around her thoughts turned from a grayish color to almost pink. "But they may return, eventually. And you have little control of them."

"We have no choice," she said softly, moving to get off the bed. "I heard what Alice said. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

"If you heard that, then were you aware this whole time?"

She blushed as she looked down at her attire. "I was aware of a lot, but a part of me thought it was a dream." Tugging the blue t-shirt hem further down and smoothing her hands over the curve her hips, she grumbled under her breath. "I'm not sure if I should be freaked out or embarrassed."

"I thought it was best," I murmured, offering the clothes I had laundered. "Your fever caused you to sweat—" Trailing off when she lifted a hand in protest as her blush intensified. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I just want to go home, make sure that my parents are okay. After that, we can talk some more." I should have protested and insisted on having the conversation that would undoubtedly change my future, but I could see that she was distracted and worried about her parents. Could I really blame her for that?

I nodded and led her downstairs after she put on her shoes. The drive to her house was in silence, and when I looked at Bella, I knew she was thinking about us. About the future that hung in the balance and all depended on her.

Little did she know, no matter her choice, that as long as the wolves were a threat, I would be by her side to protect her. And if I had to take her to ensure her protection, I would. When we arrived at the house, I immediately noticed that the two young wolves that sided with Jacob were near. I tensed and Bella had seen that.

"What is it?"

"The two wolves from the hospital are hiding in the trees behind the yard."

For a moment, I swore I had heard her growl as her hands curled up into fists, but she nodded and made her way to the front door. A confused look came over her face once we reached it. "I take it that rule about vampires requiring an invitation to enter someone's home is not true?"

The girl confounded me thoroughly. I shook my head. "Myth."

She laughed, taking my hand in hers. There was no hesitation in her action, it almost seemed second nature. The gesture had some doubts and worries from Alice's warning lift the tension that had formed around my heart.

Once inside, the murmuring voices I heard from driveway ceased. A growl from the living room could be heard from the doorway. Bella stilled and closed her eyes, but her body only warmed as if warning her.

"Do not even try," I hissed in her ear.

Without responding she led me into the living room. Her father stood behind Renee, who sat in an old recliner as Jacob and Sam stood across from them. Billy was in his wheelchair in the middle of the room, where he had a commanding presence. Though Billy was not a shifter, it was clear that Sam valued his wisdom and age.

Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme stood near the kitchen, watching everyone. Bella turned her eyes to each of them but focused on Jasper. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

I did not blame her for her question. In the past week, we had seen Jasper turn feral in her presence three times. Jasper nodded and offered her a smile, impressed by her level of protectiveness over her parents.

From what I gathered from the thoughts of everyone, no one but Carlisle knew that her powers were not stable. It was best for the wolves, especially Jacob to think she was still capable of protecting herself.

Jacob growled and stepped toward us, Sam put a hand on his shoulder, which he shook off immediately. "Take your hand off her, leech."

Bella's eyes narrowed. "I'll have you know, Jacob, that I'm holding _his_ hand."

That only angered Jacob further and the only thing that stopped from him lunging toward us was the sound of a shotgun being armed. "That'll be enough out of you, Jake," Charlie said firmly, and then turned his gaze to his daughter. "Are you okay, baby?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded. "I feel a little funny," she stated. "More off balance than usual."

"Have you tried –" Carlisle started but Bella shook her head in warning. "I'll check you over later."

"The hell you will," Jacob hissed. "She can come see our healers."

Charlie snorted. "That crap won't help her and you know it. Maybe if Sam had brought Emily to the hospital she wouldn't be scarred for life."

Sam looked down as shame filled him and the memory of his outburst in front of Emily ran though his mind. It was then that I understood why Charlie favored my family more. The accident that left the girl scarred had been recent and occurred while Sam had lost control. Charlie seemed to have put two and two together when Jacob and Paul had lost control days earlier. Whereas my family had been in Forks for two years and there had been nothing that made him believe that we were capable of hurting Bella in such a way.

That and I had saved her more than once. But there was a still an underlying sense of fear toward what could happen between Bella and I. And anger.

"Maybe so, Charlie," Billy said as his eyes remained on Bella. "But we need to know that she's not undergoing the change."

"She wouldn't be as calm as she is now," Jasper said calmly. "The change is quite painful."

Bella's body shook and her hand left mine. "Whatever is happening to me, it's not because of Edward and his family." That was not true and the way Jasper and Alice's eyes snapped to me, they were aware I had not told Bella what had happened that day in the cafeteria.

"Are you sure about that, Bella?" Jacob growled, having noticed Alice and Jasper.

Bella turned her gaze to me again, the question in her eyes. "Edward? Tell them you had nothing to do with my accident."

I sighed and looked away as I explained. "Mike was going to ask you to be his partner for the project before I could. So I had Jasper influence him so that he would not have that that chance, but it backfired."

"And that led him to…ugh." Bella shook her head and shuddered. "And you didn't save me."

"He couldn't, Bella," Alice whispered. "Everyone would've seen him run across the room."

"I am sorry."

"But…but what you did combined with my inability to walk across a damn floor," Bella hissed as an angry flush filled her face and neck. "Caused me to fall, hit my head and did this to me!" A burst of her shield had everyone in the room groaning in protest, including me and my family.

The look of horror and confusion came over her parents faces as she reached out to them. At the last moment, she stopped herself.

"Oh God," she sobbed, covering a mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with horror. She started to back away toward the front door, grabbing a set of keys that were on a table. "I need time to think."

"Bella!" I tried to move toward her but Alice and Jasper restrained me. When Jacob saw his chance, he ran toward Bella, but she struck him across the face.

"Don't you dare come any closer!"

"You have to know everything about them, about their kind!"

"I know enough," she spat.

"No, you don't. We agreed that you'd listen to our side and learn everything about them."

"You all agreed to that without _my _knowledge and_ my_ opinion." She turned her eyes to everyone in the room, one by one. "I will make my own choices. But Jacob, I will make myself really clear right now." Her gazed turned to his. "I will never choose you."

* * *

**AN: I hope its clear that the reason Bella needs time is NOT because she harbors some feelings for Jacob. It has more to do with everything else, really. She's been through a lot in the past week or so. Almost done with the next chapter, if all goes well, I'll post next week. Thanks!  
**


	19. Condition

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Eighteen – Choices and Conditions**

* * *

**Betaed by kyla713**

* * *

For a second, the room stilled, and then a flurry of activity occurred all at once. Charlie aimed his shotgun toward Jacob's quivering form, Jasper sent a wave of calm throughout the occupants in the room, and Bella's hand went for the door knob.

When she turned it, Jacob's back arched as he started to phase. I was across the room before his completion as Bella ran out the front door. "Please, just let me go!"

I held Jacob back with the help of Sam, who had also phased, causing Renee to scream and Charlie to curse. Jasper laid a hand on Jacob, instantly lulling him to sleep.

After several tense seconds, Billy cleared his throat, watching Charlie carefully. I turned to leave and go after Bella, but Alice stopped me.

"She needs time," she said softly. I heard Bella's truck roar to life and pull out of the driveway. Everything inside me screamed for me to be with her, but Alice was right. Bella had to decide what she wanted and had to do it on her own. I only wished she was not angry with me.

"Will she be all right?" Renee asked Alice from where she stood beside Charlie, her voice still shaken. Sam remained in his form for a moment longer, moving away to phase back and change into an extra set of clothes.

From what I could read of everyone's thoughts, Esme had used the chance while driving Renee and Charlie home from the hospital to fill her in once Renee made it clear she remembered more than she had initially led Carlisle to believe.

"How would _she_ know?" Billy asked, clearly not aware of what my family could do.

Carlisle stepped forward. "Three members of my family have extra gifts."

"So you don't drink from humans," Charlie stated as he put the safety back on his shotgun, but only after realizing that Jacob was not a threat as he slept. Billy spread a blanket over Jacob's prone body as Charlie continued. "Don't age, have super strength and speed. What else can you all do?"

"Alice can see the future, Edward can read minds and Jasper can sense a person's emotions," Carlisle clarified. Billy looked at his son's state, and knew that Jasper had been the one to influence him and not Bella. Even though Carlisle did not mention that Jasper could influence a person's emotions, he quickly put two and two together.

"That's how you saved my daughter," Renee said, looking straight at me, almost through me.

I nodded. "I would never do anything to hurt her."

"But you wanted to before," Sam stated. "You can't deny that."

"No, I cannot," I said, turning toward Bella's parents. "I will admit that when I first met her, that yes, I wanted her blood. But I resisted. I did not want to hurt an innocent."

Charlie's jaw clenched snapped together before he spoke angrily, "You expect me to believe that her innocence was enough for you to resist? That your current _diet _is enough to keep my daughter safe while she's with you? You must think I'm stupid."

"Not at all, Mr. Swan," I said, but at a loss for words. The confirmation that I had wanted her blood when I first encountered her was enough for Charlie's anger to rush to the surface. When his shoulders relaxed, he sent a withering glare toward Jasper. "Leave him alone, Jasper."

Jasper merely nodded and offered a quiet apology, but kept his hand on Jacob. My attention, my gaze remained on Bella's father.

"I resisted because I did not want to be a monster. So yes, in essence, her innocence kept me from killing her outright. My need to overcome what I am makes my current diet enough. But what helped the most is what I feel for your daughter. Since I have met her, I have been in the presence of her fresh blood, it saturated my car and yet she remains alive. I resisted simply because I love her."

Esme laid a cool hand on my shoulder, for support and reminder of how proud she was of me. Though my words seemed to have reached Charlie, he was still wary. And why would he not be? His daughter may very well be in love with a monster.

Shaking his head, Charlie said, "You've proven yourself since then, but no matter what happens, there would have to be ground rules set, because her protection from you…and your diet is what matters to me."

"You're making it sound like you're ready to bring him into your home, Charlie. Into your family," Billy said gravely. "As if nothing we've told you made any difference."

"It hasn't," Charlie answered, Renee echoing his words. "You've told us of most of your legends. And you yourselves confirm that the Cullen family hasn't killed any humans since they moved here."

"That we know of," Sam hissed. "How do we know that they don't fake those freaky eyes of theirs?"

Charlie's eyes narrowed and his gaze went to each of our faces. He grumbled admonishingly under his breath about having not noticed the exact same eye color, considering our cover story.

"I don't want Bella to have to leave," Charlie said. "But Billy, if you don't get your boy under control, I'll take whatever precautions I need to keep her safe." The long, silent look he sent Billy was clear. It meant that if he had to arm himself against Jacob, he would. "And if that means having the Cullens' help, I'll do it."

Billy seemed to understand that Charlie's love for Bella outweighed their friendship. It did little to lift the tension that seemed to have fallen over the room. The longer we stood there, the more I worried for Bella. Where did she go? Was she safe? How I hated to be away from her.

"That also means that for now, I'll respect my daughter's wishes. I can't blame her for being scared and angry. One thing I've learned from my daughter is that she's very independent. And while her back was turned, we all talked and made decisions she had the right to do on her own."

"Charlie's right," Renee said. "We have to ask you all to leave. When she returns, we'll tell her everything we learned from both the Cullens and the Quileutes. When she's ready to talk to you, if she ever is, she'll come to you."

"But Jacob has imprinted on Bella," Billy said in response. "She has to know that."

Sam spoke up immediately, "I've already told you and Jacob, what he's feeling is not the same thing I went through with Emily."

"Doesn't matter," Renee said angrily. "You'd try forcing her to be with him because of some stupid animal mating thing. It's her choice!" Billy's back straightened as his faced flushed. Before he could say something further, I stopped him.

"Enough," I said roughly. "Renee is right. Bella has been through too much in the last few days. We will leave but only when they do."

Sam simply nodded and asked Jasper to keep his hand on Jacob as he lifted him into his arms. Due to Jacob's abilities as a shifter, Jasper's influence had to remain on him at all times to keep him from waking. When the trio exited, with Carlisle following closely behind as he helped Billy, I turned to Alice.

"Will she be all right?"

Alice nodded. "She's only driving around, listening to some pretty heavy rock music. It'll be a few hours before she returns. And Edward, it's going to be sunny for the next few days." I cringed at the news. "That's a good thing. It'll give her the time she needs."

I looked away. "I can't stay away, Alice. I will not talk or see her, but I need to be close."

"And maybe you shouldn't stay away," she explained as she closed her eyes for a moment. "Her future for the next few days is gone." The growls from outside confirmed that Jacob had been released from his slumber.

"Why?" Esme asked at the same time as Charlie.

"I can't see someone's future if one of the wolves are with them," Alice said in a tone that she hoped Sam would not be able to hear from outside. "The second Bella drove away, I could see her future, but the moment that Jasper released Jacob, I couldn't."

"He'll be watching her," I said gravely. "Or he will have another member of the pack do it for him."

"She won't go to school," Charlie stated. Renee shook her head and placed a hand on him, causing him to sigh. "I'm doing it again." He looked at his ex-wife and smiled sheepishly. "I can't help it."

"And neither can I," I said. "I will keep an eye on her from forest near the campus tomorrow."

"Why?" Charlie asked. Renee patted his arm and said something about the weather. "No sun? Of all the places in the world I could live."

"It does seem rather like destiny," Renee said in a soft, wistful voice.

"If you only knew," Alice said with a wicked glint in her eye. I had a feeling that she knew that I would meet the person I would spend eternity with before we moved to the area two years earlier. She had been adamant on moving to Forks, Washington instead of the east coast.

"All right," Charlie said after a few brief moments. "You and your family will give Bella the time she needs, but will watch over her just in case that hard-headed boy doesn't get a clue." I nodded as did Esme and Alice. "While she's home, I'll do my best to protect her." Though he loathed the idea of shooting a fifteen year old boy, he would if Jacob tried to hurt his daughter again. The fact that Jacob had demonstrated more than once that he allowed anger to control his phasing worried him deeply.

"Unfortunately, I have to head home soon," Renee said, looking at Esme. "I would really like it if you joined me for lunch." Esme smiled and accepted the invitation, which Renee extended to Alice, too.

My sister smiled and had Charlie eating out of the palm of her hand in minutes. Though Bella's parents were wary, they accepted that we may be a part of their lives. And deep down inside each of them, their only concern was the happiness and safety of Bella.

And the question that lingered in Renee's mind, though filled with fear of the unknown, startled me. _"She loves him, that's what matters. And what parent wouldn't want their child to outlive them forever?"_

~oOo~

Bella arrived home hours later to find her parents, waiting in the living room, as I watched from outside. They asked the standard questions "Are you alright?", "Where did you go?", "How was your day?" And the even more standard lecture and interrogation, "You know better than to drive when you're angry.", "Why didn't you tell me you liked a boy?", "Are you two being safe?"

That last question, asked by Renee had me breaking a limb from the tree that I listened from. It was a simple question, one that could mean a few different things, but the implications in her tone and mind leaned toward sex. And Bella knew it; her blush was a clear indication of that.

Bella was very good at diverting attention from herself if the need arose. The moment the conversation turned to us, she reminded her mother of calling her husband Phil back home and her dad of the call he promised to make earlier to the station.

However, before she descended the stairs, her father had one last thing to say. "We won't stand in the way of what you want, Bella. And your mother and I both know what the choice could mean. We only want what makes you happy."

Bella turned her eyes to her parents, tears starting to form. "I may never see you again."

"I know," Charlie whispered as Renee nodded. "But you'd be happy and safe."

Bella's brow furrowed and the tiny crease formed between her eyebrows. "I'm not so sure right now. I need time to figure out what I want." And as she turned to ascend the stairs once again, under her breath she added, "Edward."

~oOo~

The following day was torture. Time and time again, Bella tripped, bumped or scraped a vulnerable limb. And I had to watch from afar, using the dreadful minds of students and could do nothing to help her.

She went about the day as she usually did. Talked with friends, but she had remained upset with Mike, who looked apologetic. Though she maintained a demeanor that seemed as if nothing was wrong, I could see the impact the decision making process was having on her. Her posture made it seem that she was shielding herself from everyone. Shoulders slumped, her books or bag always curled against her chest. Her face was always down, never looking anyone in the eyes. And occasionally, when the conversation or class lecture turned mundane, her gaze wandered and seemed distant.

What I would give to know what she thought in those moments.

I knew the discussion she had in the morning with her mother and father had something to do with it. They told her all about the legends and what Sam and Jacob wanted her to know. The imprinting process that Jacob believed had happened after he changed and saw Bella. They also told her what Carlisle had discussed with them. About how we were different from most of our kind and why we chose to be.

Then the conversation turned to us again. Renee had told her daughter that the situation between her father and herself were nothing like ours. And though she asked Bella if she loved me, Bella had not answered her because she knew I was listening.

And that drove me insane.

Another night had passed, where I could only watch from trees that lined the back of her house. Renee was leaving the next evening and Bella sat with her in her bedroom to discuss the lunch with Esme and Alice.

"They're very nice people," Renee said with a twirl of her hand. "Baby? Did you know he's been alone for a long time?"

Bella shrugged, pulling her hair into a ponytail, only to take it down a few seconds later. "I had my suspicions. He doesn't know how to talk to a girl he likes."

Her mother laughed softly, knowing that her daughter was trying once again to divert the focus on us. "They say he's different from before."

"So am I, Mom."

"I always thought you were, but you've always been special to me. Does it hurt when you try to use them?" Renee had taken Bella fidgeting hands in her own. "Dr. Cullen said it would best that you don't try to use your power."

Bella's bottom lip trembled when she met her mother's gaze. "I stubbed my toe in English and two students fell asleep seconds later." I had noticed the same thing, but had not realized it was her. She bit her lip and again tears started to form. "I had to excuse myself from the room. I had no idea if I had done something or not."

Renee nodded and sighed. "Sweetheart, I know you're scared." She shifted on Bella's bed, and helped her daughter to lay her head down on her lap. "We both know that Edward never meant to hurt you."

"I know."

For several minutes, neither of them spoke and their minds were equally quiet. Renee played with Bella's hair, concentrating only on the softness of it. "I think you love him," she whispered to Bella. I braced myself for her answer.

"I know that, too." Whatever relief I felt, it was short-lived.

"You're scared."

"Not of what everyone thinks."

"They did say the transformation would be painful."

"Not that, Mom."

"Then what?"

"Is love enough for forever?"

"I told you not to compare what you and Edward _could_ have to what I and your father had."

"It's not only that," Bella whispered. "There's the fact that I'll have to watch you and Charlie die. My friends, too. And Mom –" She trembled, clutching her blanket tightly. "I may hurt him."

"How?"

"If I'm capable of doing this now, I can't imagine after I'm changed. What if he has to destroy me?"

Renee gasped and her hands stilled on her daughter's. She bent down and kissed Bella's hair. "Baby, why do you think he'd have to do that?"

"Because it would be one of the conditions if I choose to be with him." Bella moved to look up at her mother. "I don't want to kill humans or Edward and his family. If I do, Mom, I'd carry that guilt forever and it'll destroy me."

"That's a lot to ask for."

"I know. And if he had to do it, I think it'd kill him, too." Renee nodded and through her eyes, I could see Bella look straight at her, through her. "I think I love him too much to put him through that."

Alice stood suddenly at the base of the tree. "Come down, Edward." Absently, I jumped down until I stood beside her. Taking my hand, she insisted that I go hunt. "You'll need it."

My mind was a chaotic mess of mixed emotions and thoughts, but I managed to ask, "Why?"

"She'll want to see you soon. Jasper and I will stay with her tonight." I nodded and though I turned back toward the house, I knew I had heard enough.

As I ran, I thought of Bella's stipulation to her joining me in forever. I knew it was one that I could never agree it; it was simply too much for her to ask and she knew it. I had no idea what my denial to her "condition", if she asked for it, would do to our future.

~oOo~

It was another day and half of watching from afar before she called me. In that time, Jasper, Emmett and I had to chase away a few wolves. Jacob was making himself clear; no matter what Bella had said, he would make her his. The imprinting process he and his followers believed he went through with Bella justified any means necessary.

He was bordering on thoughts similar to those I had hunted during my rebellion from Carlisle. Justifying his actions because of the imprinting he thought he formed on Bella. Jasper and I had come to the same conclusion; Jacob should be dealt with, even if it meant his destruction. If only Carlisle would overlook it.

On the final sunny day, according to Alice's weather report, Bella seemed rather upbeat. She had a bounce in her step and she smiled more readily. Alice smirked as she left after escorting me to the forest that bordered one side of the school. "I think she's made her choice," she said over her shoulder.

Euphoria mixed with fear filled my heart and mind. All that mattered was what Bella wanted and I was what she needed to be happy. I would be there for her. I only hoped she would not ask for _that_ condition because I had made my choice, I would never agree to it.

~oOo~

As Bella drove home from school, I followed closely behind. She was in a bit of a hurry since her mother and Charlie would be leaving to Port Angeles soon to catch the flight. Whatever she was thinking while driving, I knew it had to do with her choice. She wiped tears that seemed to fall continuously almost all the way home.

Down the street from her house, she pulled over and stopped. Laying her head back, she closed her eyes to gather herself. After a few minutes, she turned toward the passenger side window and called out my name.

In seconds, under the shade of the trees, I slid inside her truck. I nearly groaned at the potency of her scent inside the small cab. My eyes were on her lovely face, wishing that I had the right to touch her and wipe away the tears that still lingered there. I was the reason they were there in the first place.

"If…I want to…" She shook her head a few times, unable to continue for several moments. "Will I be able to see her again?"

"Perhaps, in time," I whispered softly, unable to help myself, I covered her hand with my own. She sighed softly and turned her palm up to intertwine our fingers. "But not for a few years."

"I had hoped to stay human for a bit longer, to finish school here," she replied and looked out her window. "But I see that Jacob wouldn't make it easy. And I'm afraid he'd hurt someone." She looked along the tree line on the driver side of the road; two wolves stood watch, panting heavily. I wanted her to stay human longer, too.

"If we left, we could enroll in a new school and finish up your junior and senior year before the change, if you would like." I thought about that for a moment, realizing that it might be too dangerous. "Then again, you are right. Jacob would find us easily and you would still be in danger." Without Alice's visions, I would never be able to keep more than half a step ahead of the young wolf.

She shook her head and finally her eyes turned to me. "I don't know what to do," she said as her bottom lip trembled. "My dad is taking my mom to the airport once I get home. I hate goodbyes."

"The decision does not have to be made tonight, Bella," I assured her, even though it killed me to say it. I needed to know, needed the assurance that she wanted me as I wanted her.

"That's not fair to you," she whispered, lifting her free hand to my face. Gently, her fingers brushed feather soft along my jaw, while her eyes followed their movement. "I don't want you to hurt anymore."

I laughed darkly. "I have been in perpetual darkness for nearly a century. A few days or even weeks would make little difference. And even if you chose this sacrifice, to become like me, even if it meant that I would have you, we would be forever in the dark. Only together."

She gasped and closed her eyes with evident pain. "Oh God," she whispered. "You can't say something like that and not expect this to be more difficult."

"I am sorry," I whispered. "I had not meant to make it seem…" I was at a loss for words, since my statement had been honest. Her sacrifice would mean the loss of her soul and her embracing the monster that would always near the surface.

"Esme told my mother that vampires mate for life," she said after a few silent minutes ticked by. "If…If I chose to walk away…" She trailed off because she knew the consequences of such a decision.

I pulled my hand away, pinching the bridge of my nose in attempt to keep me from seeking her touch. "Do not allow that information influence your choice, Bella," I said firmly. "Whatever the consequences of loving you are, they are mine to bear."

"No," she replied. "Not alone."

"I do not wish for you to choose to be with me over pity and fear over my welfare!" I threw the passenger door open, jumping out as quickly as possible. I heard her door open and close seconds later and the sound of her stepping closer to me. Why had I not run? Just the thought that she would walk away forever, leave me, left me breathless.

From the corner of my eye, I could see her clearly. "It wouldn't be pity, Edward," she said softly, blushing as she looked down at her feet. "I know you've been listening, watching over me. You know how I feel."

But I wanted the words. I was selfish, because I knew what she felt from her discussion with her mother and Jasper's confirmation the previous night. Yet, I longed to hear the words, to have them in case she chose to walk away from a future together.

I turned then, needing the physical connection as much as the emotional one that seemed to fill the air around us with tension. Lifting my hand to cup her cheek, her eyes closed to my touch, her mouth and nose nuzzled my cold palm. When her eyes opened after a few seconds, I could see something simmering in their warmth.

It was there, in the cradle of my hand that she whispered the words that would forever be etched into my memory. "I love you." At least I would have that, I told myself.

A growl from across the road interrupted the moment, forcing Bella to react instinctively. Her shield sent a tiny burst, but in the opposite direction, posing no threat to me. Had that meant she had more control? The wolves' stance wavered for several seconds before they regained their composure.

"You should not do that," I said firmly. The small droop of her eyelids confirmed Carlisle's suspicions; her gift was taking a toll on her mind and body.

"Can't help it," she murmured, swaying slightly. I caught her, and once again, the wolves made their presence annoyingly known with several growls. And they had summoned their alpha through their connection. Bella's hand clutched my shirt tightly, looking up from where her head rested on my chest. "He's coming, isn't he?"

"Most likely," I answered, brushing an errand stand behind her ear. "You need to go home. It is almost time for your parents to leave to the airport."

She nodded, but instead of stepping away, she held me tighter. "Kiss me," she whispered. Whatever she could have said at that moment would not have surprised me as much as that request.

"Why?" I loathed the idea that she was kissing me only because of the wolves' presence and even more so at the thought of her asking for that before she said goodbye.

"Because I don't remember what the kiss felt like that night in my room," she answered, blood rushing to the surface again. "Only that it tingled after." Her eyes lingered on my mouth and licked at hers.

My breath caught as her arms wound around my neck. Unable to resist, I pulled her fully against me, wrapping my arms around her. My hands nearly expanded the entire small of her back.

I closed my eyes, her scent enveloping me thoroughly. I had not been that close to her in days, her potency was overwhelming. "I don…don't think I can," I whispered just a breath away from the warmth of her lips.

"I understand," she said softly. "I could already see the hunger, the darkness in your eyes again." Internally, I chuckled; I had some doubt that the color of my eyes had little to do with my hunger for blood. She did not need to know that. She pulled away from me suddenly. "Why am I draining you now?"

She was confused and concerned. And from my reflection in her eyes, I could see that she was correct. My hunger started to bleed into my eyes, darkening the color to black.

Tears started to form in her eyes. "You see now why I have to ask. I know you heard me, my condition."

I shook my head, stepping away from her because I wanted to crush her to me. Hold her and shake her so that she would understand. What she wanted from me would destroy me.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," she hissed, watching me take another step away from her. "I have no control of this now, and from what your family said, you wouldn't be able to control me after."

Anger rushed to the surface, made all the more powerful with the hunger that suddenly lacerated my throat. "What you ask for is too much! I could never do that, ever."

"But you'd allow me to take lives without a second thought?"

"I would do everything in my power to ensure that you did not hurt anyone," I said firmly.

"But you can't guarantee it, can you?"

I could not lie to her; I promised I would not any longer. However, I could not answer her. There was nothing I could say that would elevate her worries. There were no guarantees. Even with the help of my family, there would still be that small chance that she would escape and feed on humans.

And with her power, if they remained after her change, we would hardly pose as an obstacle to stop her. My answer would do little in my favor, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe it would be the catalyst that would make us end before we had a chance.

Resolute, I answered her, "No."

Before she could utter a word, a deep series of growls resonated from the tree line. Bella spun quickly, her eyes moving from left to right. In seconds, three wolves stepped from the shadows. "Damn you, Jacob!" she spat, her hands clenching into fists. However, her shield refused to expand around her and she knew it.

The largest of them, Jacob, moved onto the road as I crouched in front of Bella. Before I could process their overbearingly loud voices, Bella started to back up toward the front of her truck. "Leave us alone, Jacob."

He snarled at her, snapping his teeth once in her direction. I growled just as Jasper and Alice appeared beside us. "Get in the truck, Bella," I said, my eyes still on Jacob. "Go home."

"Not until I know you're okay," she stated, standing her ground behind us. The rustle of leaves and the soft footballs behind us alerted us to another presence, a wolf that had recently joined Jacob's pack.

He would reach Bella before I could.


	20. Her Choice

**Come Take with Me**

**Chapter Nineteen – Her Choice**

* * *

Time seemed to have slowed. Though I knew I was moving toward her, screaming for her to run, everyone was frozen in that moment, and suddenly, everything fast-forwarded. The wolf clamped his jaws around Bella's arm, growling as he carried my precious cargo.

Bella's eyes rolled back as she went limp in Collin's hold. "Edward," she whimpered, her unfocused eyes turned toward the source of her pain. Though no blood spilled down her arm, her skin had been punctured. I ignored the flare in my throat and the byproduct of my thirst as it pooled in my mouth, focusing on Bella instead.

I growled and crouched defensively in front of the young pup, baring venom coated teeth. His lips snarled and curled around her tender wound. Another soft mewl left Bella's lips, her chin falling against her chest. I could not just pull her from his grip, since it would likely tear her arm apart.

"_Why isn't her shield protecting her?" _Alice screamed in my mind.

I shook my head, unable to comprehend the reasons for her gift failing her at such a time. Perhaps, it was simply because she was human and her own body was not able to sustain the energy to produce her shield any longer. Whatever the reason, it could lead to her destruction. I had become complacent and believed that her power would protect her when I could not.

Jasper's attention remained on the wolves on the other side of the highway and he expressed his concern. "We're outnumbered, perhaps we should consider –"

"I will not leave with her!" I growled beneath my breath.

Jacob and the wolves that flanked him started to slowly make their way toward us; Jasper's disapproval was heard in his deep snarl. "Alice," he whispered. "Go now." My sister shook her head as she stood behind him, ready to fight, if need be.

"Put her down," I snarled, returning my full attention on Bella. Collin was scared, unsure of his own actions and the orders given by his pack leader. "If she was his entire world, had he imprinted on her, do you really believe that he would condone what you are doing? If he loved her truly, would he cause her pain for his own selfish need to have her?"

"_It's for her protection and for her own good," _he reasoned within his own mind, though there was little conviction behind them.

Jacob growled fiercely as he continued to close the distance between us. _"Remember your place!" _he roared within the minds of his pack.

An engine roared down the road, alerting everyone to the risk of exposure. Though, to anyone that could come upon the scene, it would look like four humans were being attacked by four giant wolves. The pack stilled, except for Collin, who started to back toward the forest behind him.

"Stop," I hissed. The approaching car suddenly sped up and Alice gasped, and through her eyes, I could see who careening toward us.

The hard squeal of brakes and burning rubber forced everyone's attention but my own toward the police cruiser that skidded to a stop after completing a one-eighty turn on the shoulder. The passenger door sprang open; a horrified Renee plastered herself against her seat as Charlie held a shotgun, pointing it toward Bella and the pup.

"Don't make me do it, son," Charlie said gravely. In his mind, his choice was already made. He would shoot if it was the only way to save her. However, _I _could not risk her being hit by a stray bullet or an unsteady hand. The wolf trembled where he stood, as Jacob bombarded his thoughts.

Before I had time to react to his instructions, Jacob leapt as Collin tossed Bella high in the air. Alice screamed as the other two wolves advanced on Jasper. Growling, I launched myself toward Bella, enclosing my arms around her in a protective cage as strong as granite and steel. I hit the ground, hard enough to shatter bone had I been human.

That seemingly short second of time before we hit the ground, I assessed Bella's arm. Jagged tears of blood, skin and muscle started from the top of her shoulder to the crook of her elbow. If she had not been unconscious, she would have been in tremendous pain.

Jacob's jaw clamped onto my ankle, but I bit back a roar of agony. I could hear Renee screaming, and through her, saw Charlie aiming toward us. The howl of pain stopped Jacob short, looking back at the naked body of young Collin; his shoulder started to bleed profusely and was potentially fatal. The other two wolves in the pack broke rank and went to aid their friend. Jacob shook his large head, his long canines glistened as he turned back to look at me.

"_She's mine!" _His thoughts were starting to take an even more frightening and dark turn. I had to get her to safety and away from him.

"Never," I growled as I slowly rose to my feet, assessing every move. "And it would be _her _choice, not yours." I heard Charlie's thoughts, as he reloaded his shotgun about to join us. "Stay in the car, Charlie."

He hesitated, but nevertheless listened to my instructions. "Call Carlisle," I said to him. "The wolf will die if we do not get him medical attention." Charlie's eyes widened, recognizing the boy. His mind was in anguish since he seemed to understand that Collin was not given a choice. He had simply been following orders.

"_I already texted him,"_ Alice whispered to me in her thoughts. "_He's on the way, along with the others. We need to get Bella and her parents out of here." _I knew that already, but I needed to ensure Charlie remained in the car.

"Bella needs help," I said to Jacob. "She's going with her parents."

"Bella!" Renee cried out for the first time since their arrival. She reached for her seatbelt but Charlie did not allow her to move. "Bring her to me!"

Jacob snarled menacingly as he took a step toward me. Suddenly, I felt a charge move through Bella and I knew what was about to happen. My shocked gaze turned toward my sister and Jasper, and they understood immediately and started to back away slowly.

That look allowed Jacob the moment he needed to lunge toward us, however, once again, the moment Bella's shield enclosed around us; he literally appeared to bounce off it. He landed on his side but scrambled quickly onto his paws, growling at the energy that surrounded Bella and myself.

I inched toward the cruiser and could hear her parents' thoughts in my mind. Though they were in awe of what they had just seen, there was fear there, too. I continued toward my destination but kept my eyes on the wolf before me.

"_You're not taking her, leech!"_

"You are correct," I hissed. "Her parents are." I turned quickly, running the rest of the distance between us and the car. I knew he could reach me, but I felt his blow against Bella's shield. It was weakening, likely because as she was trying to protect us while her body was healing.

Fascinated, I watched as I laid her within her mother's arm, her wounds started to stitch together. She would be fine and her unconsciousness could be simply explained by her dislike of blood. Jasper and Alice circled the car, the shield having encompassed the cruiser and parents as well.

The moment her wounds were healed, her body arched as Renee attempted to soothe her in a soft voice. Bella's dark eyes met mine but widened at something behind me. She gasped because at that moment Jacob stalked toward us, his own pack crying out to help Collin behind him.

Her eyes seemed to spark and anger spread over her features when her gaze locked on the boy's broken form. "Damn you, Jacob! I'm not worth this!" Before Jacob reached the boundary of Bella's shield, he snarled at her. Suddenly, her shield's energy intensified and spread. Though I could not see it, I could feel it. It folded protectively around us and my family.

However, a tremendous force started to build as it focused on the area closest to Jacob. His dark eyes widened, his body started to tremble and his fur to recede. She was using his strength against him, to feed the shield.

"Take care of him, Jake," she whispered gravely. Jacob was so consumed with his thoughts on Bella that his wounded pack member barely registered in his mind. His body continued to quake and rose what fur was left. When his eyes drooped, I knew I only had a small window of opportunity. Bella needed to stop before she killed someone and drained the life from everything surrounding us.

"Leave now," I said firmly, meeting Charlie's eyes. He nodded and he started the cruiser again. I felt Bella's hands fist in my shirt, dragging my gaze down to hers. "Go."

She shook her head, knowing that the moment her father drove away, my family would be left unprotected. "We will be fine, Bella."

"My condition?"

I hissed, anger no doubt darkening my eyes. "You ask too much of me."

"I can't go into that life knowing I'm nothing more than a liability."

I touched her cheek. "Do not ask that of me," I murmured. "If I had to destroy you, it will kill me."

"As taking lives would destroy me," she countered.

I dropped my hand. "This is hardly the time to discuss this."

She blushed and looked at each of her parents, nodding. "Then, I guess this is it." Confused, I tipped her head up with my finger. "You can't promise me what I want, then it's best that we –"

Again, my hand fell away, allowing my features to freeze into a practiced mask. "You are right. It is for the best. Once the threat of Jacob is neutralized, my family and I will leave." I braced myself for her protest, instead watering eyes met mine and she nodded.

"Go," I gasped, forcing the mask to remain and slamming the door closed. Jacob lay over a hundred feet away in a heap of naked limbs and ragged breaths.

"I don't want to leave you with them here." I turned away from her, unable to handle the tears that started to fall down her small, pale face.

"That is no longer your concern," I murmured. When it was obvious that not only she refused to leave me unprotected, so had Charlie and Renee. It warmed me that they were concerned for me and it also only made me angrier. My promise to love her for eternity, to spend it with me was not enough to keep her.

Instead, she allowed her fears to come between us. The irony was that I had originally done the same in the beginning of our doomed relationship.

"Edward, please," she pleaded. I could hear her remorse and grief in her voice. I wanted neither of those from her.

Without looking back, I hissed, "Just go already!"

"Edward!" she cried out as Charlie started to pull away. She had to live with her choice, and I would have to do the same – for eternity.

Two vehicles from opposite directions sped toward us, alerting Charlie of company. "It's my family," I said in defeat, seeing the pained look on her face through her mother's eyes. "Please go, Bella."

Charlie's parting thoughts surprised me, leaving me with some satisfaction that he would do anything to protect his daughter when we left town.

"_Do what you have to do to keep her safe."_

As he pulled away, speeding toward Port Angeles, Bella's sobs shattered me and simultaneously strengthened the walls I had around my heart since I had come into this existence.

~oOo~

Somehow, the entire incident by the highway was conveyed to Sam by one of the wolves in Jacob's pack. A double agent among wolves; it seemed unheard of.

Despite the fact that Bella's shield no longer protected us, Jacob remained unconscious, severely drained of his body's natural energy and warmth.

"I don't approve of your relationship with Bella," Sam said, watching carefully as Carlisle attended to Collin's injury. "But Jacob's gone too far. We'll do what we can to make sure he doesn't come near Forks or her again."

His assurance sounded genuine, but his thoughts betrayed him. Jacob had already caused a few members of his pack great bodily harm. Despite their gift of healing quickly, the fact that Jacob had attacked them in the first place worried him.

"We need to get off the road," Jasper said firmly. "Anyone can come upon us."

Carlisle rose to his feet, grimly looking at Sam. "I need to get the fragments out," he said gravely. "I can't do this here."

"He's not going to your hospital."

"Then you must come to my home," he offered. Jasper, Rosalie and I made our thoughts on that clear. "Collin and two of you can join us."

Sam shook his head. "Seven of you against two of us," he growled. "Not going to happen."

"Some of us need to take Jacob to the rez," Paul said. "Keep him there. It's going to take a few of us to do that."

"Nothing will happen to you and your people," Esme said. "But he needs help, it can't wait any longer."

Sam cracked his neck, his jaw flexing as he fell forward, transforming instantly. I read his thoughts as he instructed everyone and the packs were divided. Seth, another young wolf returned to his human form, quickly stepping into shorts and lifted Collin into his arms easily.

"They'll follow on foot," I translated. "Four of them will be accompanying Collin."

Everyone but Jasper, Alice and I followed the rest of my directions and left. I felt Alice's hand on my arm. "You need to go after Bella," she murmured, blocking her mind from me.

In all the chaos of everyone's thoughts and the disconnected emotions I felt course through me, I had missed a vision.

"She made her desires clear," I said blankly. "She does not want me."

"You know that's not true," Jasper said, picking up the tattered rags the pack had left behind. "Right now, she's confused and scared. Did you see what she did around us?"

Turning my gaze to the forest, it almost appeared as if something had landed overhead, decaying everything in a three hundred foot radius from where the cruiser had been. Even the asphalt of the highway seemed aged and cracked.

"Can you blame her for that fear and for proposing such a condition?"

I shook my head. "We could do everything possible to make sure she does not hurt anyone."

Alice suddenly glared at Jasper and seemed to plead for him to stop talking. "You can't guarantee anything," he continued. "Not even her own safety, much less anyone else. I'm sorry, Edward. If things do work out, I will not put Alice at risk."

"That's ridiculous, Edward will need me to keep an eye on things," Alice said, anger coloring her voice. "I will not stand back and do nothing." Jasper stood immobile and it was obvious in his features that despite what Alice said, he would find a way to keep her safe.

I glared at him as Alice tried to grab his attention again. "What are you saying?" I asked.

"I'll send Alice away if you decide to change her, at least, until Bella gets control," then he emphasized his following words. "That's _if _she ever gets control."

I growled and shook my head. "I guess now that she has made her decision, this discussion is moot. You should be satisfied with her choice."

Jasper's grimace bellied his words. "I want you happy just as much as everyone else."

"But not at the risk of Alice and the others."

"No."

I growled and turned on my heels, running toward the forest. "Edward! Damn it, Jasper!" Alice cried, both out loud and in my mind. "She'll need you!"

Roaring my pain and confusion, I left a wake along my forest path that was ravished in my anger. Splinters of wood fell from my fists until I reached the first sign of blood. I jumped onto the mountain lion, draining it in seconds, consumed by the memories, by her decision.

My mind was torn. I wanted that, for her to walk away. At least, a part of me did. The other went through a series of emotions— pain, sorrow, worry and ultimately anger.

How could she walk away from me?

I was not aware of the time, but when night fell, I eventually started toward my home. Though it was the last place I wanted to be, surrounded by couples that loved each other unconditionally. The anger rose to the surface again.

Conditions such as the one we placed on one another should not be made in a healthy relationship. Faith, love and hope should have been enough. Chaotic as my emotions and thoughts were, they centered on her. I knew I would seek her out before the night was through.

Before I reached the house, I found Emmett's jeep on a hunting trail along with a change of clothing, courtesy of Alice. Changing quickly, I phoned her.

"Go now!" she said, refusing to elaborate further when I questioned her.

"Tell me what's going to happen."

"Just go, Edward!"

I started the jeep, traversing the rough terrain easily before I skidded onto the highway. "Where?"

"She's going to leave Charlie after dinner, for a moment alone. Some guy is going to rob a nearby store there, distracting him from keeping an eye on her."

"What then, Alice?" Though I was angry with Bella, I did not wish for harm to come to her. And why did she always seem to walk into trouble?

"I don't know," she whispered. "After she turns into an alley, the vision just goes black."

"Jacob." It would explain the possible blackout of her vision.

"It could be, I don't know."

~oOo~

I found Charlie fairly easy once I reached Port Angeles. He was among several uniformed officers as they congratulated him on a job well done. He had helped apprehend the man that shot and robbed the store owner in a small liquor and tobacco store. Though he talked with them, his mind focused on Bella.

He had not seen her since before the robbery, for over an hour. I exited the jeep quickly, making my way toward him. His relief to see me was palpable. "Edward?"

The men that surrounded him turned toward me, attempting to determine who I was. "Do you know which way Bella went?" I asked.

His dark eyes widened. "Toward the book store on First. Should I worry?"

"Alice said it would be best that she go home."

His eyes narrowed, his lips pursing. _Vision, _he thought. "It's that damn," he cleared his throat, lowering his voice. I wanted to tell him that I could _hear _him clearly, but the officers were very curious. "It's the stray dog again, isn't' it?"

"It looks like it."

"Is there a problem, Chief Swan?" one of the uniformed officers asked.

"My daughter is wandering somewhere around here," he answered politely, though I could see that he clearly wanted to leave. "It's probably a good idea for us to go look for her."

"Does she have a cell phone? You should try calling her," the man offered.

"I already tried," I replied and I had, ever since Alice warned me. "It kept ringing." We were wasting time and Charlie knew it.

"Some of us can give you two a hand," the officer offered, the rest of them nodding their approval. When Charlie tried to say it was all right, he insisted. "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't want to alarm you. But a couple of weeks back, a young woman was seriously _hurt_ in the area." His statement and the thoughts within his mind made it abundantly clear the kind of hurt he spoke of.

I growled under my breath as I started toward the direction that Charlie's thoughts pointed me toward. Inhaling deeply, I followed her scent through a sudden influx of people. There was a music festival still in full swing, which contributed to the inebriated state of many of them.

I found her scent near a bookstore, lingering strongly, but it seemed that she had merely stopped there for a few moments. Shaking my head, I concentrated on the thoughts of others, trying to see if anyone had recently seen her. Charlie continued to discuss Bella with the officers, passing along a picture of her that had been in his wallet.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up," Charlie said, sensing my aggravation with the men and perhaps the need to continue at human speeds. "Start canvassing the area."

After a few moments, they left us to continue on the search. "Tell me what Alice said exactly," he asked the moment we were out of hearing range of anyone.

"She said Bella needed me and that after she walked into an alley, her future stopped."

"But it could be only because of Jacob, right?" he asked and I nodded, refusing to add more to his anxiety. His heart rate started to concern me. It was the last thing Bella needed, to lose her father.

I kept my thoughts trained on the minds of others and one of my senses attuned to the almost musical beat of hearts, searching for hers. Over the last few weeks, I had memorized it and the subtle differences, depending on what she was doing.

"Did Renee make her flight?" I asked, hoping to get Charlie to calm a bit.

"Uh...yes," he mumbled as he looked into an alley. He waited for my inspection, moving along when I shook my head. "She had refused to leave, considering what was happening. Bella wouldn't hear of it, of course, Phil needs her. We actually tried to get her to leave with Renee, but in the end, we all determined that it could be more dangerous." Confusion furrowed my brow, making him elaborate. "If she's there, because of the weather, you wouldn't be able to protect her if Jacob came for her."

He was right. During the day, I would be forced to watch from afar, especially after our discussion earlier. And if Jacob chose to attack her in broad daylight, I would have to expose myself and risk the Volturi.

Palming my cell phone, I answered after the third ring. "Jasper," I answered.

"Whatever is going to happen to Bella, Alice said the surrounding buildings are old and look industrial. Edward," he said softly. "She said four men kind of spooked her, she went into the alley, hoping to lose them."

I cursed and nearly crushed my phone in my hand. "Son," Charlie murmured, somehow taking it from me. "Let me talk to them." Nodding, I continued to weave through the crowded street for another two blocks before foot traffic dispersed.

I heard Jasper's call disconnect and I made a note that I would have to make it up to both him and Alice soon. The information he had just given to Charlie would steer him away from trouble. He used Charlie's concern to convince him that it would be best that _I _should not be the one to find Bella, telling them they felt I would likely hurt someone.

"Um, Edward," Charlie said, running several steps to catch up to me. "I'm going head up Huntington and Tenth, maybe she headed toward the concert." I had to hand it to the man, he seemed to be learning how to block his thoughts quite well when it was needed.

I nodded and waited until he seemed to be satisfied that I would not follow him. Once he turned down a street, I slipped into an alley and using my fingers climbed the side of a building. I needed speed and with too many people around, I could not achieve that.

Once on the rooftop, I allowed all my senses to expand outward. Searching for a clue of where she was so that I could help in some way. I moved swiftly from roof to roof, using my gift to see into the minds of those nearby.

"_I shouldn't be here," _a young man thought, slightly slurred and muddled. _"Damn, she's pretty, though." _Through his mind, I recognized Bella as she ran into an alley, just as he and his friends turned onto the street.

The heating unit on which I was perched crushed beneath me as I used it to push me across two buildings. Snarling, I continued in the same manner, peeking into their minds to find their location. The more I saw, the more I feared and the angrier I became.

The youngest, though his thoughts were somewhat innocent, his morals were blurring. He seemed fascinated as Lenny, the oldest among them, the vile human who had done what they planned to do to Bella four other times, taunted her.

They had herded her into an alley that, about halfway through, was fenced, caging her in. She turned toward her tormentors, her heart beating frantically, determination clear on her pale face. Her hands fisted at her sides. "Leave me alone."

"Come on sweetheart, don't be like that," Lenny teased. "Look at you, whooeeee, we're going to have some fun tonight!" Through the less vile man, Jason's, thoughts, Lenny turned toward them, smiling before tipping the last of his beer down his throat. "Ain't we boys!"

He tossed his beer aside and lunged at her, and then pulled back before he reached her. He continued to toy with her. I sped up and cursed the fact that neither of the damned men had focused on a street name.

Anger burned through me, that I did not work hard to remember to tread lightly. I knew I left behind gouges every time I landed, but I no longer cared. My only concern was Bella, her safety and my need to tear them apart.

She fought them, managed to land a few punches, and broke one of their noses before I reached her. I found her moments before it was too late. The scene I came upon made the venom within me nearly explode in anger.

I had not given much thought on killing another for sport, much less vengeance, for over seventy years. The last time I had even considered doing such an act was when she walked into my class.

The hunger, the desire to take a life was much different from when I had first breathed in her scent in class. The cool, Port Angeles air, the nearby trash bin and those vile humans, did little to mask the scent of the fear that coursed through her veins.

They laughed manically as her scream pierced the night. I had caused that scream; my frustration with the one who had denied me had clouded my judgment. I had taken too long to come find her due to my pain and anger after she had made her choice.

A low rumble ignited in my chest as a whimper of pain left her lips, soon escalating to a roar. Anger and jealousy bit angrily at my very sanity, because they were touching what was mine.

I grinned as I crouched, ready to do what I must. It was four against one. It would be a massacre.

Theirs.

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**AN: betaed by kyla713. No excuses for delay, but I'll try updating more often. Thanks  
**


	21. Blood Soaked Asphalt

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty – Blood Soaked Asphalt **

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Couched within the shadow of a building, I roared and launched myself at one of the men that stood watch. The satisfying crunch of bone rang through my ears, milliseconds after I landed on his back. Sick thoughts ran rampant in his mind, seconds before the rush of tremendous pain colored his thoughts blood red. A scream burst from his mouth, only to be cut off as his nervous system completely shut down. Before his body hit the asphalt, he was dead.

My right arm shot out, my hand clamped around one of the other's, who had already registered my presence. With a simple twitch of my hand, his neck snapped before a sound could be made through his crushed wind pipe.

In those few seconds it took to kill the first two, I sensed another nearby, watching and ready to make himself known. However, time of was of the essence. My first priority was Bella.

At least I knew that we were right. Alice's vision was blocked because of him. However, before I could do something about him, another of her screams pierced the night as Lenny intensified his taunting, unaware of his friends' deaths.

The third man, Jason, turned toward me, his eyes wide with fright. He had every reason to fear me, as I stalked toward him. Despite his doubts about what he and his friends were doing, he chose to remain and do nothing to save her.

He did not have a chance to step away when I hit his throat, his hands instantly reaching it, fighting to take another breath. I snarled and tossed him, his body sailed through the air. He smashed against a trash bin, sliding to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth as his heart beat started to slow.

Before I could advance on the man that dared lay a hand on Bella, Jacob jumped between us. His snarling wolfish grin betrayed him, his inner voice as loud as ever. The boy had no idea what control meant.

His thoughts however enraged me. "Jacob!" I roared. "How could you lead them toward her?" I snarled as his mind conjured the images, the plan to win a place in Bella's heart. He forced the men toward her, scaring them with carefully placed snarls until they found Bella. In my eyes, his idea of "saving her" had sealed his fate.

Only twelve seconds had passed since I first come upon them, but her screams and cries made it seem infinitely longer. "She needs help," I snarled, attempting to circle around him. He stood in my way of protecting her. His interference would lead to her pain.

"Edward!" she screamed behind him. I snarled and ran toward one of the bodies, using it as a distraction. I grunted as I flung it toward him, his mouth clamping around the man's torso. I ran head long toward him, and at the right moment, I shifted my direction. I avoided his blood-stained teeth by a hair's width, circling around. I grabbed the fur on Jacob's back, swinging him toward another body.

Before he could shake away his momentary dizziness, I turned toward Bella. My venom ran thickly, as every muscle in my body screamed to attack. To protect. From behind, I wrapped an arm around her attacker's shoulders, forcing his head to one side with the other.

Bella lay on the asphalt, blood seeping into her clothes and the ground, her eyes scrunched tightly. Her sweater was _cut _through the middle, a blood stained knife lay beside her. I roar ripped through me, before I clamped my teeth into his throat savagely. I heard her scream again, her eyes snapping open, widening as they locked with mine.

She could finally see what I really was. Gasping, her eyes widening even further; it was only a millisecond later that her shield went up. She was safe, from the monster that tried to hurt her, Jacob— and from me.

I ignored the pain at the knowledge that she feared me, that she felt the need to protect herself from me, and I drank deeply. He would not die as quickly as the others. His bones started to crack under my killer embrace.

Three pulls and Lenny's body crumbled to the ground, I could no longer tolerate the taste of him on my tongue. The first human blood I have consumed in over seventy years, and all for her. I looked up at the night sky, closing my eyes as an overwhelming sadness washed over me. It was over. She would never accept me after seeing my true nature.

I heard her crawl away from me and my gaze returned to her. She gasped and pointed at something behind me. It was at that moment that I realized I was _within_ her shield. Jacob snarled and growled at its perimeter, attempting to bat at it with his paws.

"Jacob," Bella whispered, taking in the ravished bodies around him. In his anger and inability to gain access, he'd torn them apart.

"I killed them," I said softly. "But he…" I could not believe that he had gone so far. "How could you do it, Jacob?" I walked toward the edge of the shield, aware of Bella rising to her feet. Cuts and bruises started to heal on her face, hands and chest. Despite her ability, I seethed with rage, my body trembled as the need to destroy still coursed through me.

"He did that?" Bella said, walking to my side, the shield molding tighter around us.

His mind had only one word chanting repeatedly through his thoughts— _mine_.

"If she was your imprint, Jacob, you _never _would have allowed this." I growled as my hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. "You led them to her. They would have raped her, every single one of them, probably even killed her." His large head tossed from side to side, his internal mantra continued.

"He did _what_?" There was fear and rage in her words, her body trembling and pushing the boundaries of her shield further out. "You were going to let him do _that _to me," she spat viciously. "This is how you show your devotion, by placing me in paths of monsters."

I could not kill Jacob in front of her. Not after the look of fear she had while I drank from the man that hurt her. I wanted to and knew it was a desire that would remain with me always. I would have to find a way to keep her from knowing that I would kill a boy she once thought of as a friend.

I heard voices, running footsteps and the sound a slow moving car. It would pass the entry of the alley in less than a minute. I looked around us, blood soaked the asphalt in various places; their blood and hers laid spilt everywhere.

_Cover your tracks; _a rule that burned into my mind, something to remember to ensure our secret and ambiguity among humans.

Unsure of her reception, I cautiously held out my hand for her to take. "Open your mind to me," I whispered. Her eyes met mine, searching them. Whether she found something reassuring or not, I was not positive. Fingers, soft and still covered in her blood, slipped along mine.

As Jacob snarled viciously at her acceptance, I showed and explained to Bella exactly what needed to happen next. She nodded, released my hand and snapped her eyes toward Jacob. Her hand shot up, pinpointing energy near him. The moment it released, his body slid along the ground, grit, fur and blood covering him.

His form remained, which was essential. I grabbed Lenny as I growled, "Close your eyes, Bella." The moment they slid closed, I threw his body toward Jacob, grabbed Bella and swung her onto my back. "Keep the shield up for as long as you can and hold on." Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, her blood stained hands inches from my mouth.

I groaned and fought my thirst as I jumped onto the side of a nearby building. She gasped as my fingers gouged onto the gritty surface, using them to climb toward the roof. On the next jump upward, her legs wrapped around my waist, burying her face into my shoulder, her fear palpable.

We both heard the voices of several men entering the alley beneath us. Thankful for the cover of darkness, I looked back at the scene. Charlie along with seven other officers fled into the alley, armed and ready. Within his own mind, he bellowed Jacob's name, but kept it from spilling forth.

Jacob, still in wolf form, stood in the mist of strewn body parts; blood splattered the nearby rubbish and walls that enclosed him. Shocked gasps could be heard from each of the officers, and as Jacob took a step forward, they opened fire, only a few hit flesh as he prepared to jump over them.

"Do not look, Bella," I whispered, shaking a hand loose, long enough to press her face against me. "It is something you should not see."

"So much blood," she cried softly. "What about my dad?"

"He's safe now," I said as Jacob launched himself over Charlie and the other policemen. Shouts and screams spread like wildfire as he disappeared down the street.

At the end of the alley, Charlie stood still. "Is she safe?" he asked softly, his eyes on the men running after Jacob.

"Yes," I said loud enough for him to hear. He startled and shook his head, even his body visibly shivered. He feared me, more than his daughter ever did and possibly could, if the past few minutes were any indication.

In his mind, he imagined opening a door for me to read him easily. "_We need to talk without her present."_

"I agree," I replied.

"_Get her out of here."_

"Dad?" Bella said softly, trying to look down at him. "Oh God. So much blood."I felt her head loll to one side, her hold on me loosening. I cursed and held onto her arm, speeding my climb up the building.

"He will be safe," I said, rocking gently on the soles of my feet and launching us onto the roof. "Jacob is already out of town."

"Okay."

I made quick work of returning to the jeep. Careful to keep the blood-soaked areas of our clothing from being seen by the few people we passed on the street. We looked like many of them; a young man out with his date, who'd had a bit too much to drink.

Bella slipped in and out of consciousness until we reached where I had parked. There, Jasper, Alice and Carlisle waited, their anxiety almost cracking through their mask.

"Oh, Bella," Alice cried. "Is that her blood? Why didn't I see this?"

"It is not all hers," I said as Jasper opened the door. I eyed him. "Are you all right?" He gave me a grim smile. "Then follow us on foot, just in case Jacob decides to make an appearance again." He nodded, crossing the street and moving downwind.

"Tell us what happened," Carlisle said, climbing behind the wheel. "Alice, don't worry about my car. You can go with Jasper." She turned toward Jasper's direction without another word. I knew she would peek into our futures to hear my explanation and would pass along the information.

Slipping in the backseat with Bella, I held her close, hyper aware of the drying blood on her clothes. Within seconds, Carlisle pulled out onto the road, taking us out of the city. My body was still tense, ready to strike, wanting more destruction and Jacob's head.

The moment the voices of the people in Port Angeles dimmed to only a murmur, I knew I was in trouble. Bella's blood, however little the amount in comparison to the others, started to become where one of my senses focused. That and the thrum of her pulse, the way the pale skin fell and rose rapidly just above it.

"Edward," Carlisle said firmly. His thoughts and voice allowed my mind to pinpoint on another factor besides my other senses. Those seconds allowed me to notice that I held Bella's body close to my own, my mouth poised over her neck. I inhaled deeply and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Pull over," I gasped. He did immediately, jumping out and opening the door. My arms tightened my hold on her, as my instincts told me to protect her.

"If you cannot give her to me," he reasoned. "You have to remove the clothes that are soaked in blood. "Is she still bleeding?" I shook my head, trying not to breathe again. "Hurry, Edward." Through his eyes, I could see that my own had already changed color, to red.

Careful not to jostle her, I pulled off her jacket and the torn long sleeve sweater. Only a small dot of blood stained the tank top she wore beneath, so it would remain. The area near the hollow of her throat was still pink and raw from where that man held the knife to her. Jacob had distracted me enough to not to see the weapon Lenny had pulled on her after she tried to kick him.

Emotions thick and violent seared through me, my hold tightening around her. "Easy, Edward."

"She could have died," I said flatly. "Why? It was because I chose to allow my emotions to keep me from protecting her. I would have followed had it not been because of my pain. Now, she will always fear the dark. Always fear me."

"She's here with you now," he replied. "Let's go home."

In a tone that Carlisle seemed to find somewhat disturbing, I told them every detail of what had occurred from the moment I found Charlie to when I left him behind. "Do we know if Charlie's all right?"

"He has already called, Edward," Carlisle answered. "He'll be fine." After several minutes, as the city disappeared from view, I knew I would have to answer his unspoken question and argue his thoughts.

"I do not care if he has been banished by his people," I said angrily, but only loud enough for him to hear. "Jacob went too far when he had a fellow wolf nearly attack her." I snarled at his thought. "Collin may not have wanted to kill her, but he sure as hell hurt her. For that, I blame Jacob."

"I know, son," he murmured, appearing older than his age of transformation. "Jacob is alone, now. Sam said that wolves aren't meant to be alone. And that eventually, he could become more beast than human."

The information did nothing to sway my mind; it only increased my need to protect her. Jacob Black would die by my hand.

* * *

**AN: betaed by kyla713. Next, a talk with Charlie. **


	22. Wash

**AN: Following the aftermath of the attack, Bella will experience some of what victims of sexual assault do. If you have triggers, please read cautiously. Thank you.  
**

* * *

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-One – Wash**

* * *

The drive to Bella's house was uneventful. Jacob had not tried to follow us, but I was left craving our next confrontation, which would lead to his destruction. However, Bella's safety was my primary concern. Once we reached her home, I found the key nearby and I climbed the stairs to her room.

Jasper and Alice remained outside to stand watch while Carlisle's checked on Bella. As he did so, I examined my memory, running through her attacker's thoughts to know where he had hurt her. She had suffered a few blows to her stomach and ribs, a couple to her lovely face and the cuts at her throat. There were a slew of scratches near her chest and under her navel that had me cursing through Carlisle's examination.

It had taken wave after wave of Jasper's calming influence to bury the rage inside me. "How long until she awakens?" I asked, watching as Carlisle tucked a blanket around her.

He shook his head. "I cannot be positive, Edward. With her unique gifts, it could be minutes or hours. Did you see any damage to the life around her in the alley?"

I searched my memory again, finding that she had killed all the vermin in the alley besides draining Jacob slightly. And since I was within the shield, I was protected from that side of her gifts. However, her powers healed her rather quickly, which meant she used her own body's strength.

"Damn it," I hissed. "That is why she is still unconscious, is it not? She turned her gift onto herself to heal her and hurt Jacob. Which has now took a toll on her. We have to do something or her gifts will kill her."

"I know," he said, coming to the same conclusion. "You two need to come to the decision about changing her, and if you both choose to do so, we need to discuss how to approach it."

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, moving into the hallway.

"Edward, her body, her gifts, allow her to heal herself, how do you think it would handle an invasion of venom?"

He had thought about that for a while, concerned about where that would leave us if changing her would not work.

"Are you saying that perhaps her gift will not allow the transformation to complete?" He nodded stiffly. I nearly hissed at his next thought. "It could make it even more painful!"

"We'll find a way, Edward."

The fiery transformation was the most prominent memory from my human existence. If what I had to endure had me begging for death, I could not imagine the pain being worse. How could I fathom doing that to her?

"Do not make any choices without her," Carlisle said, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "You have already done things without her knowledge. Choosing her fate for her would only serve to hurt you both."

I nodded. "Leave us, please," I murmured. "I need to—" I looked at her laid out on the bed, the bruises and scratches almost gone. "I need to just hold her."

"I'll check on Charlie."

"All right." Before his departure, he gave me a warning to expect some shock when Bella awoke. I walked toward the bed, slipping in behind her. Through her slumber, she tossed around, her body shook and her mind remained closed to me.

For once, I was thankful for it. I did not think I could endure seeing her memories of her attack through her eyes. With a gentle touch, I ran my fingers through her hair, humming her lullaby in an attempt to soothe her.

It was only after twenty minutes that she started to stir, screaming. "Get off! Get off me!" She tore at her own clothes, clawing at her unseen attacker.

"Bella," I whispered, trying to stop her from hurting herself. My hands manacled her wrists, pulling a heart-wrenching sob from her. Her body arched and twisted until I released her. "Bella."

On a soft sigh of my name, her arms reached out for me. One fisted in my shirt the other wrapped around my shoulder. "Edward, Edward," she chanted, nuzzling my chest as her body started to relax. I continued to offer her soft words and even gentler touches, anything to coax her from her nightmares.

A few minutes later, her long lashes fluttered for several seconds. I could see her eyes move rapidly beneath her lids, her breaths labored as she tried to awaken from her dream, or perhaps slipping further into her nightmare.

"Bella," I whispered, desperate to reach her. "Wake up, love."

A deep shuddering breath moved through her, small fingers clutching me closer. "Help me!" she growled as her eyes snapped open. They were wide, dark, still with the haze of sleepiness within them. "I can still smell him and the blood. Help me!"

I cursed myself for not considering the aftermath of such an attack. My thoughts wandered for a second on how the first thing on Rosalie's mind after her transformation had not been her thirst but to wash herself. Wash them off her.

I lifted her off the bed as she continued to repeat her request. It broke my heart as she tried to tear at her tank top. The moment I set her down in the hallway restroom, she stripped off her shirt, running toward the shower on unsteady legs. Before her knees hit the floor, I was there to support her. She did not push me away, but seemed unaware of my presence.

She seemed to only have one thing on her mind. Turning the faucet farthest from her, she stepped inside her shower without waiting. Immediately, almost blindly, she reached for a clean washcloth and body wash.

It took only a few moments for the water heater to kick in, heating the water quickly. Her relief from shower was short lived as she rubbed the washcloth over her skin and bra harshly and fast. On her stomach, she paused where I knew Lenny had successfully unbuttoned her jeans, she wrenched them open, struggling with the wet fabric.

The way she frantically moved and the tears that fell and mingled with the water, kept all lustful thoughts from my mind. Seeing her that way nearly brought me to my knees. I would have left for modesty's sake if it had not been for her loss of balance occasionally, where I would steady her by capturing her by the elbow. The last thing she needed was another head injury.

"Let me help you," I whispered, keeping my voice soft as to not alarm her while she continued to battle her jeans.

"Just get them off, his blood is on them. I can still smell him on me." Her hands rubbed her arms, swaying as I knelt down beside the tub. I tugged her jeans down her slim thighs, tearing them enough to make it easier on her. "Hurry, hurry."

She laid her hand on my shoulder, attempting to kick off the offending garment faster. With her eyes on her feet, I slipped on some cold water since the water had reaching a scalding degree. Her skin reddened everywhere. The moment her jeans were off, she continued to scrub her skin.

"Bella," I murmured, stopping her hands after a few seconds. "Please, stop. You are rubbing yourself raw." She shook her head and continued as if I had not said a word. I pulled her hands away from her body, holding her close. Her body shook for a few minutes and I felt her arms wrap around my waist soon after.

She sighed softly. "Tell me it wasn't real." Oh, how I wished I could tell her what she wanted to hear.

After a few moments, I answered. "I promised I would never lie to you."

Her tears were scorching against my skin, making me wish that I could resurrect that vile man to destroy him again. Her voice was only whisper soft. "Charlie?"

"He is still in Port Angeles," I replied.

"Does he know what happened in the alley…with the men? I don't want him to know." There was desperation in her words, possibly embarrassment, if her suddenly heated face was any indication.

"No, he doesn't." When she said nothing for a couple of minutes, I asked, "Are you ready to get out?"

She shook her head. "Can you wash my hair, please?" I kissed the top of her head and pulled away enough to reach for the bottle of shampoo. She seemed reluctant to let me go, so I kept my arms around her as I gently washed her hair.

"What are we going to do?" she asked softly, her forehead pressed against the crook of my neck. My fingers worked the tangles from her hair, as water cascaded down her back. I stilled as her words registered in my mind.

"We?" I repeated hoarsely.

Her hands moved over my back, curling over my shoulders from behind. My breath hitched as I became aware of how much closer her body was than before. She lifted her eyes to mine. "We," she whispered. "The moment we left you behind, I knew I would come back for you."

I shook my head, turning off the water and slipping a towel off the rack nearby. "Just as I knew I could not walk away, either. There is still one thing you want from me that I cannot give you."

"My condition," she sighed, but before she could say anything further, she startled. "I'm naked." Her face flushed in embarrassment than the heat of the water.

"Here," I said and wrapped a towel around her. "Are you all right?"

"I feel a little better."

I helped her from the shower and into her room. "Are you hungry?"

She shook her head, shivering again as she had before. "I need to change."

"I can wait into the hallway," I said just as my cell phone rang. "Unless you would like me to leave?"

Her wide brown eyes snapped up to meet my gaze. "No!" It felt nice to know that she still wanted me to stay.

"I will not leave, but I need to answer the call. It may be your father."

She nodded and walked toward her dresser. "I can't talk to him yet." I could understand that, she was still too shaken up by what happened.

"All right." I walked into the hallway, letting the door close behind me. I had to return Charlie's call before he tried the house phone. "Mr. Swan," I said when he picked up after the first ring.

"Where's my daughter? Is she all right?"

I was not sure how much information Bella wanted to share with her father. It was certain that she would want to guard him from what happened. Though it felt wrong not to tell him everything, it was her choice, not mine.

"We are in your home," I said quickly. "Bella is fine and is resting now."

For several moments, he said nothing. "Has Jacob showed up there again?"

I sighed in relief. For the moment, he did not question what he thought he saw in the alley. "No. He seemed to have disappeared." After a beat of silence, I tacked on, "For now."

I heard him curse and cover the phone to hide his words from me. However, I heard everything, including the sounds of him walking and a door closing. "I need the truth, Edward. Was she in that alley when those men died? Did you want to kill her in that, with all that blood around –"

"She did not see everything," I answered as honestly as possible. "And no, I did not want to hurt her."

"I need to know my daughter is safe with you."

"She is, but the rest of this discussion is best saved for face to face. We need to decide how to keep her safe now that Jacob has become an even bigger threat than before."

"How?"

"I will explain once you return home."

"I'll be there soon."

~oOo~

I found Bella in her room, sitting in the rocking chair in the corner. She pointed at the bed without looking at me. "Your family has issues with personal boundaries," she murmured.

"Sorry," I said, cursing Alice for leaving me a change of clothes while we were in Bella's bathroom, during her breakdown. "With Alice's abilities, she cannot simply help herself."

She nodded, looking out her window as she pulled up her knees to her chest. "I'll wait for you to change. I want to know what Charlie said."

I retrieved my clothes, slipping out of the room and changing out in the hallway as quickly as possible. Once done, I returned to find that she had not moved from her spot. "Is he all right?" she asked.

I explained the call and that he would be home in an hour. The silence after seemed to stretch the distance between us.

"I don't mean to sound bossy," she said softly after a few minutes, sighing as she ran her fingers through her wet hair. "But can you please burn our clothes and my sheets. I swear I can still smell them, even Jacob."

"_Just put everything by the back door," _Alice said in her thoughts. _"We'll take care of it."_

"I will return shortly," I said, stripping the bed quickly. I left everything where Alice said to, watching as she stepped from the tree line. "Will we be all right for a while?"

She simply nodded, taking the items with her as she disappeared into the inky darkness that fell over Forks. When I returned to Bella's room, she was waiting for me just inside her door.

"What is it?" She looked so small in the oversized sweater and loose sweats. Her skin was still deathly pale.

"Nothing," I whispered, brushing the back of my hand over her cheek. I reveled in the tiny shiver that moved through her and the fiery color in the wake of my touch. "I thought I knew what fear was, gloried in it when I hunted men like the ones tonight. But it was nothing in comparison to the thought of what could have happened to you."

"You came for me." It almost seemed as if she could not understand why.

"I had hoped to give you a night, perhaps give me time, too, so that we could think things through." I shook my head, sighing as she led me toward her bed with my hand in hers. "But when Alice said you were in danger –"

"You couldn't wait?"

I nodded and slipped my hand along her cheek, cupping her neck gently. "The idea of you in pain…I knew I had to come for you. Do what I could to protect you."

"And you did. You saved me." There was a hint of reverence in her voice.

I averted my eyes, dropping my hand from her face. "I killed those men, Bella," I said flatly.

She sighed and tried to get me to look at her but I refused. "It was either them or me."

"I enjoyed it," I said firmly.

Her breath hitched but she tried once again to get me to look at her. When our eyes met, I did not find fear within them. "You've hunted others like them, haven't you?" I simply nodded. "All of them like," she paused, breathing harshly several times. I knew she needed some comfort from me, but the ugliness of the night and of my dark existence forced me to step away further. "Like the men that hurt me?" Again, I only nodded, allowing her to draw her own conclusions. "I don't know what to say other than justice was served." Before I could utter a protest, she continued hotly. "And if the situation was reversed, and someone was trying to hurt you, I wouldn't have hesitated, either."

"You cannot say that."

Her hand fell from my shoulder as her chin tilted up in defiance and determination. "I wanted to kill Jacob. For a few short moments, when he tried to charge you from behind, I wanted him dead for all the pain he's caused _everyone_ I love."

I cradled her face, searching her eyes, finding the truth of her words. "What are we going to do now?" I repeated her question from earlier.

Her warm, soft hands slipped over my jaw on either side of my face as she pressed her lips gently to mine. I stilled for a moment before I returned her kiss. She tasted like the sweetened cream of my youth, of warmth and love and everything I had ever needed but never knew I wanted.

She pulled away first, her skin flushing and her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Her eyes opened and the darkness of her attack had drained away from her gaze.

"We're going to plan our future – together."

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. So much for the talk with Charlie, next time. **


	23. Why

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Two – Why**

* * *

Bella and I waited for her father to arrive in the living room, her back rested against my chest on the couch. I basked in her scent that surrounded me, feeling strangely more at peace with it. I was not positive of when it happened, only that it had. My control around her blood and scent had always been tightly held, barely tolerable. However, as she laid so near, after everything we had been through, alive and thriving, I knew I would never _want_ to hurt her again.

For once, I looked forward to the future, one where I was no longer alone.

Twenty minutes after she had fallen asleep, she grew tense in my arms. With a soft press of my lips against her temple and a whispered word, she startled herself from her nightmare. "Oh." She gasped, holding a tight fist over her thudding heart. "It was just a dream."

"You are at home, safe," I whispered against her ear as she shivered. She tensed again, which alarmed me, realizing what her dream might have been about. "Tell me what you were dreaming of."

I felt her head shake and her shoulders curl away from me. "I can't tell you."

"Why?" I asked, pulling a throw over her more fully. She had not stopped trembling since she awoke.

"It'll upset you." That was her only reply and she knew it would not be enough since it only fueled my curiosity. I tipped her chin up with a finger, looking into her dark eyes, still red-rimmed from earlier tears. I remained silent, knowing that it would disarm her. It was only fair since she did the same to me with her every look and breath. After a moment, she slipped her chin from my hold and shrugged with a sigh at her soft lips. "I dreamed about what you did to that man."

My own breath hissed through my teeth. She tensed in my arms for a mere split second before she scrambled onto her knees between my legs to face me. Her soft, warm hands pressed to each side of my face, coaxing me to relax and look at her.

"It's not what you think," she whispered, her eyes wide and beautiful. "I wasn't scared. It's –" She dropped her eyes and flushed suddenly. I felt the heat even radiated in her fingers on my face. The warmth was soothing, yet hardened every muscle in my body. "You were beautiful."

I shook my head in complete disbelief. "How can you think that?"

"Deadly or loving," she replied, her breath and face hovering over mine. "You are beautiful. You saved me from something terrible tonight."

"Not fast enough."

Her hands moved in opposite directions. One curled in my hair, the other traced the line of my jaw. It was intense, pleasure at the most extreme that I had ever experienced in my existence. To have her touch me of her own free will, a need clawed at me as it had that night I first caught a glimpse of what laid beneath her clothes. I felt both shame and wonder. It was a contradiction of emotions that whirled through me.

My mind barely registered my hands moving to grip her hips, pulling her dangerously close. "Careful," the word escaped before I could take it back. My voice was hoarse and thick, unlike anything I had ever heard uttered from my lips.

She stilled before me, her arousal permeating the air. My fingers tightened around her warm body, memorizing the beautiful curves beneath their tips. Her mind opened for me as mine laid bare for her to examine at will. It was futile for me to fight, or to deny her free rein.

"We have to go slow," she whispered, reading my fears and insecurities.

I nodded and loosened my hold, noticing her thoughts registered the sting of my grip. "I lose concentration with you so close." She nodded, reading how I constantly calculated the pressure in which to hold her and accounting for every adjustment of every second with her.

"But not forever," she said. "No, you don't want to go slow forever."

If I had the ability to flush with heat as she constantly did, I would have at that moment. "No, not forever," I replied, unable to deny the truth she could easily see. She not only read it in my thoughts but in the way my body responded to hers. "Once you are like me, I will not have to be as careful."

I watched as she bent her head closer, her gloriously soft hair falling around our faces. Every sensitive nerve ending felt each strand brushing against my skin. It was exhilarating to feel so much; the touch of her hands still on me, warm and soft, her hair cool and smooth.

Her eyes were wide, luminous to my own penetrating gaze. The flecks of gold that swam in the depths of brown were a preview of what they would look like at least a year after her transformation. Why had I not seen it earlier?

A small twitch of her lips at one corner forced me to look at her mouth. Her breath hitched as she moved infinitesimally closer. I knew what she was about to do, should I stop her?

"Bella," I gasped. Her breath was as enticing as the rest of her, shaking my head, I said, "Not sure if that is a good idea, love."

"Why?" she asked in a whisper.

"After what almost happened earlier," I reasoned with her and myself. She was assaulted and had seen so much carnage.

"I want to." But she moved to pull away, understanding and insecurity in her dark gaze. I held her still, shaking my head slightly. Her brow furrowed as my hand swept hair from her cheek.

"As do I," I said, watching for the reaction I hoped for. It came in a swift wash of color and heat, accompanied by a breathtaking smile.

As she moved toward me, I sat up further and met her half-way. At the first touch of the softness of her lips, my fingers tightened on her hips, eliciting a soft moan. I was not hurting her and the confirmation that she liked my touch allowed me to move further. With the lightest of pressure, I slid a hand beneath the hem along the back of her shirt to feel the warm, silky texture of her skin.

Her answering gasp was like a breath of fire against my cool marble lips, warmed from her touch. Our bodies arched ever closer, tasting and exploring, matching her ardor. As my hands skimmed the soft skin of her lower back, hers trekked along my face, hair and neck. Suddenly, she pulled away. It was not from fear or lack of restraint—though we were close—on either of our parts.

"He's not going to leave me alone, is he?" she whispered, registering as I had that Jacob was circling the house. I cursed under my breath, breaking the link between us. She shook her head, clasping her forehead as a wave of dizziness claimed her.

Carefully, I cradled her body as she slumped against me. "Charlie is on the way," I said, registering Alice in my thoughts. She tensed as she tried to move, but I would not have it. "My family has already arrived," I said softly. "He will be safe when he gets here."

"He's testing for weak spots."

I nodded and rubbed down her back, over the soft cotton of her shirt. "We have about twenty minutes until your father arrives." She sighed and nuzzled my neck, her breath near the extra sensitive area where my pulse used to be. "I need you to stop using your powers."

Confused, she pulled back to look at me. "How can you tell?"

"Your body temperature goes up several degrees," I murmured, taking a deep breath. I allowed her scent to coat my throat and lungs, such exquisite torture. "I can hear him clearly enough. You do not need to see what he was thinking." I hoped that I conveyed with that simple message that it was best for her not to attempt reading Jacob's thoughts.

She nodded and nuzzled against me. "Are you sure we're safe here?"

"He's far enough that we have time to react if he tries to attack. He's alone now, Bella." My brow furrowed as I tried to make sense of the images and thoughts in Jacob's chaotic mind. "Jacob has been exiled from the reservation, severing all communications with the other Quileute."

I did not need to read her mind to see that she felt some sense of guilt and remorse. "Oh, poor Billy." Her concern was over the boy's father and not Jacob himself. However, the Bella I knew and loved would reserve some of those emotions for him, too.

"Billy has friends that will help him through this," I murmured. "But Bella, Jacob brought this upon himself. He was too young for the transformation. He confused his infatuation with you for the more complex hold that imprinting has on his kind."

She nodded and whispered hoarsely, "I'm so tired." Her eyes fluttered closed. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" She was fighting her exhaustion for me. I held her a little tighter, crooning softly in her ear until her heart regulated to the natural rhythm of sleep.

Jasper stood outside the front door, ever vigilant on his watch, since with Jacob's presence, it was unknown exactly when Charlie would arrive. "_Carlisle has spoken with Sam_," Jasper relayed to me through his thoughts, his eyes narrowing on the dark figure across the street, hidden amongst the bushes.

"I doubt that they will make any difference."

"_Perhaps_," Jasper replied. "_But their presence would assist us since you are determined to keep the boy alive_."

"Not by choice," I snarled beneath my breath. I did not want to alarm Bella with my anger. "Though she is upset with him, I doubt that she would forgive me for killing him in cold blood."

"_Have you considered that you will always have to look over your shoulder,_" Jasper reasoned. "_You can't always be with her, Edward_."

"I will endeavor to try," I said. "Besides, once she becomes one of us, Jacob will lose interest."

"_Even I know that is a load of crap_," he thought. I could almost picture him rolling his eyes. "_If he can't have her, he'd make sure no one did, least of all, a vampire_." I sighed, since I had come to the same conclusion. "_This is something you need to discuss with Bella, though it might be wise to keep it from Charlie_."

Through Jasper's thoughts, I could see Jacob's dark form move through the neighbor's yard and further into the darkness of the forest as Sam and four other wolves approached. A long, mournful howl filled the air, followed by a series of yips as Jacob ran from his former pack members.

I reminded myself, it was the Quileute's choice to banish him, not ours. It was his choice to go against his tribes laws and earned him his punishment. I felt some pity toward him. For he only wanted what he thought was his, though his actions were not from someone irrevocably in love, but obsessed.

If Bella had continued to reject me as she had the fateful day in the cafeteria, perhaps I would have gone down the same path as Jacob. There was a fine line between love and obsession. It was a troubling thought.

Twenty minutes later, Jasper moved from the front door to the curb as the cruiser pulled up. Charlie watched him warily as he exited the vehicle. "Chief Swan," Jasper greeted him sensing Charlie's fear. "We're only here as a precaution."

"Has Jake come here?" Charlie demanded, his head whipping in every direction.

"Yes."

I knew what Jasper was attempting to do. He wanted to make sure Charlie understood the severity of the situation and that there were only two plausible conclusions. Jacob dies, ensuring Bella's safety from him or she leaves with me and my family.

"Where's Bella?" he asked. His breathing had become labored and I worried about his health. Jasper had the same thought and sent a wave of calmness toward Charlie. His dark eyes snapped to Jasper's, shaking his head. "Stop trying to control me. I have every right to worry and be angry."

Jasper simply nodded and led Charlie toward the house. Alice, Rosalie and Emmett stepped out of dark corners of the property, making poor Charlie's heart beat faster.

"Carlisle and Esme are on the way," Alice said, smiling at Charlie. "We all decided it was best to discuss the future of our families together."

"Why?" Charlie asked.

"Bella is family," Rosalie answered with a shrug. "She's with Edward and that makes her one of us, even if she's human."

"Yup," Emmett said excitedly. "Though how long she'll stay human is up to them."

"Stay human…" Charlie said, swallowing nervously.

"Enough," I said low enough for only my family to hear. "You are not helping."

Bella stirred, her lips nuzzling my chest as she started to wake. "You all think too loud."

Emmett, Jasper and Alice laughed, making Charlie startle in response. "Damn mind readers…" He stopped as he took the sight of Bella and I on the couch. "Is she all right?"

Bella rubbed a hand to her eyes before opening them. "I'm fine," she said, coughing slightly. "But I'm thirsty." She tried to get up but I shook my head.

"Not yet," I said. "You were dizzy earlier. Let someone else get you a glass."

"I'm on it," Emmett said, waggling his eyebrows. "Don't get up, Edward."

Bella looked at him confused as she sat up more fully on my lap. I stifled the groan, quickly adjusting her with a simple shift of her body onto the couch cushion beside me. She looked adorably confused by the quick change but a blush overcame her as she finally realized what Emmett had referred to.

"Did Jacob leave?" she asked me, but looked at her father.

"Sam and some of the others led him away from Forks," Jasper said.

"Yes," Alice answered. "They agreed with Carlisle to help keep him from Bella until we decided what to do."

I shook my head. "They can't possibly agree to me changing her."

"Because of the treaty," Charlie added.

"They might be looking for an excuse to attack," Emmett said, handing Bella a glass of water. "Most of those guys look ready for a fight."

Alice nodded. "They went through the transformation too young."

"Whoa," Bella said, placing her glass on the coffee table. "Time out. Are you saying that Sam would hurt you if I wantto be changed?"

"All we have to do is bite a human to break the treaty," Jasper indicated. "It doesn't matter if it's to feed or change the human."

"But it's my choice!" I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her anger quake through her body.

"Do you want to be changed?" Charlie said softly. At his words, everyone, human and vampire alike, held their breath.

Bella stood on wobbly legs, but held my hand for support as she walked toward her father. "Yes. I want to be changed."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "Why? What is this decision is based on? Is it because you're afraid of Jacob? Because becoming what they are will make you safe? Because whatever is happening to you might kill you? Or is for another reason?"

'Why' was a very good question and they were all valid reasons, but there was only one that I wanted to hear.

It was the most I had ever heard Charlie say at one given time. All the while, as the words had tumbled from his lips unbidden, his mind flashed through Bella's life from his point of view. They were moments and snippets of time in the life of the girl I had fallen for. I was mesmerized, speechless and forever thankful for the opportunity to see it all for myself. Even if the memories were through human eyes, they were priceless to me.

The first time he held her, tears had fallen from his eyes; he was so scared of dropping her, of holding on too hard. An hour after her birth, she was in his arms, tiny, sleeping, with creamy skin flushed cheeks with rosebud lips and he loved her so much. As memories bombarded me, the ones he held on to the hardest were some of the most painful.

After Renee had taken Bella from him, he had wept for days. Yes, he had lost his wife that he loved, but it was his daughter he lost his heart to that day.

Seeing her as she stood before him, I could see the fear grip his heart again. He knew what we all did; he might never see her again. Despite that, he would do what he could to keep her safe and happy, even let her go.

Bella smiled and took her father's hand in hers. "Those are all good reasons, but not why I want this. It's because I love him, Dad."

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713**


	24. Meeting

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Three—Meeting**

* * *

His daughter's words caused Charlie to still. It was the first time that I experienced his mind going completely blank. The slight lift of a corner of his month told me exactly what had happened. He learned to block his thoughts from me, much like his daughter. It was not near the intensity of Bella's natural block, but something I could easily break through if I tried. It was by no means a small feat. My family had not even been able to accomplish something at this level.

His eyes moved from Bella and toward me. I gave him a slight nod to tell him he had succeeded. His mouth lifted into a soft, but smug smile. I felt the shift in Bella's stance as she tried to use her gifts, likely intrigued by the look on her father's face.

"Don't," I hissed, causing her to blush at the reprimand. "I am sorry, Bella. But it's not safe for you use your gift." We had told her several times, and I hated constantly reminding, but it was necessary. She nodded.

"I can see why not knowing what someone is thinking would drive you insane," Bella grumbled, averting her gaze from her father.

"Hell, I'm just glad no one is rattling around in there," Charlie said, tapping his temple with a finger. "So should we all sit down and talk?"

I nodded and led Bella back to the couch. Jasper made his way toward the door as Carlisle and Esme entered without another word. Charlie shook his head and rolled his eyes at their sudden appearance.

"Fill us in," Carlisle said as he greeted Charlie with a firm handshake.

Unfortunately, Emmett chose to answer. "Well, as Bella and Edward were _busy _and the rest of us stood watch outside, Jacob tried to find his way inside the house. Obviously, he didn't get through, as if he'd get past me." He shook his head in disgust at the thought. "Then the other dogs decided to join the party and ruin my fun. And Edward and Bella's." He grinned as I growled at his absence of tact. "After that, Charlie got here and asked his daughter why she wants to be changed," he pressed a hand to his chest, "and she confessed her undying love for Edward."

"Is he always like this?" Bella asked softly, blushing and clenching the hand I held.

Tight-lipped, I answered, "Unfortunately."

"Hey, I resent that," Emmett said, taking a stance near the window, Rosalie shadowing him.

"All right," Carlisle started. "Since we're all here, I suppose it's best we start."

"Your mother should be a part of this," Esme explained, taking the cushion nearest Bella. "Hello, sweetheart." She surprised Bella with a hug, but she accepted it easily.

"Renee and I have already discussed some of this," Charlie said, sitting in his usual recliner, watching Bella and I warily. "I know her stance on it all. So before you two go looking into my brain, we should first talk about what 'the change' means."

"The change?" Bella asked, shivering suddenly, shaking her head, too.

"Bella?" Carlisle approached her and knelt beside her, but immediately tensed and curled away from his touch. "She's burning up." Alarmed, I had become accustomed to her raised temperature due to the usage of her gifts. "How long has been like this?"

"Almost all night," I said, gently placing the back of my hand on her forehead. She pressed further against my touch, humming softly.

"Feels good," she murmured. "I'm fine. It's just been a long day and I haven't exactly been getting a whole lot of actual rest."

"You still need to take something for the fever," Carlisle said, adding a touch of authority to his voice. Bella nodded obediently, just as Alice said she would find some upstairs. "Please refrain from using your gifts, as Edward said."

Bella shrugged. "Sometimes I have control, sometimes I don't. They're tied to my emotions and instincts." She looked at me, then back at Carlisle. "And they're getting stronger."

"Stronger how?" Charlie asked, moving to sit on the coffee table in front of us.

Embarrassed by the attention, she looked at her lap, blushing under the dark curtain of her hair. "They're growing. My shield has expanded." It was then that I realized that the quietness of the thoughts around me. Besides those in the room with us, I should have heard everyone within a three-mile radius. That area consisted of at least twenty different humans. I no longer heard them.

"Before it would reach around you no more than five to seven feet," Jasper said, cocking his head to one side, looking out the window. Rosalie and Emmett did the same and they all came to the same conclusion. "You have the entire street under your protection."

Awed, Charlie only stared at his daughter, causing her to revert further into herself. She tucked her head against my chest, biting her lip nervously. "I can't turn it off," she murmured. "But I can stop myself from hurting someone, I think. I'm not reading their minds, unless I want to. That's good, right?"

"Why do you think she can read minds now?" Charlie asked, looking at me, then to Carlisle. "If she can use just anybody's, then she'd do all that mumbo jumbo those two do," he waved a hand in Jasper and Alice's direction. "But so far, we've only seen her be able to use Edward's."

"Personally, I think it has something to do with the bond they share," Carlisle said. "I've done some research on why her blood appealed to you so much." I looked curiously at him, reading his thoughts before he said them. "She's your singer. It's rare to come across a person with blood that calls to you in such a way. It's unheard of to resist it."

I thought as much. Emmett had indicated that he had come across a woman with blood that was simply irresistible.

"There was no basis on what would happen should a vampire fall in love with his or her singer. Therefore, this is all new to us. Jasper has already indicated that his ability to help with your emotions is waning as they have with Bella since her accident and discovery of her now physical shield. I suspect soon, Alice will not be able to detect your futures as she had before."

"My visions for both are already weakening," she murmured.

"So we're sharing gifts?" Bella concluded. "Or more like piggybacking off each other when you use them."

"It's gradual," Jasper said, nodding with Bella's assessment. "That's why Edward hasn't been able to erect a more physical shield like you have."

"I suspect that once you become one of us," Carlisle continued as Charlie tried to understand everything. There was so much fear for his daughter in his mind. His mental block crumbled when faced with so much uncertainty. "Your shield will be too strong for Edward to piggyback as he can now, or you'll have enough control that you'll share each other's gifts completely."

"Aw!" Emmett whined, shaking his head. "Like he doesn't have a big enough ego with the mind reading thing! He'll be impossible to live with now."

A few of my family laughed as Emmett had intended because Charlie looked thoroughly spooked. If it had been his choice, he would prefer not to know everything he was learning.

"So, if Bella agrees to be changed," Charlie started, breaking a minute-long silence.

"I have agreed," Bella stated firmly.

"You are still a minor," he said with a slight edge to his tone. "I want to know what that entails." He did not want to know, but for his daughter's sake, he knew he had to listen. Bella nodded and turned toward Carlisle.

"Before she can be changed, she would have to leave Forks, forever."

For a few beats, Charlie's heart stopped. His face blanched and his hands trembled. "Dad?" Bella said, taking a hold of his arm, infusing him with some of her energy. He quickly snapped out of it.

"I knew you'd say that," he whispered gravely at Carlisle. His mustache twitched above the slight quiver of his lips, turning toward Bella. "I knew. I've known since the boy saved your life the second time."

"Known I'd have to leave?" she asked for clarification.

"That he'd take you away from me," he said gruffly, trying to fight back his emotions. Bella's eyes started to glisten, which made Charlie shift uncomfortably. Alice appeared a few seconds later with a glass of water and a couple of pills for Bella. It was a welcome distraction for the two Swans, as they averted their eyes from each other so that she could take her medication.

"Can you tell me why? Besides the Quileutes." She looked at me then back at Carlisle. "It seems there's more to this than a treaty."

"There is," I said, taking her hands in mine. "We will not age, people will notice how much you will change in appearance, and you will not be safe around humans for at least a year."

Bella's eyes fell to our hands, though her skin was pale, it was still enough of a contrast for her to understand what people would see after she was like us.

"She won't be safe around humans because she's too new?" Charlie asked.

Carlisle replied, "Yes, after the transformation, her thirst would be nearly unquenchable, her bloodlust insatiable—"

"Talking about insatiable…" before Emmett could continue, Bella raised a hand and sent him flying into the wall.

"Shit," she gasped in horror, her eyes wide and bright. "I only meant to sting him."

"I will fix it tomorrow, love."

Charlie watched as Emmett dislodged himself and ran a trembling hand over his nose and mouth. "As Carlisle was saying," I continued in an attempt to get him to focus on something other than Bella's capabilities.

Under her breath, Rosalie said, "She's going to destroy more houses than all of us combined." Every member of my family nodded in agreement.

"Her bloodlust would be too hard for her to control in the first few months for her to be around humans. We will start her on the same diet as the rest of us." Charlie looked queasy for a few moments, focusing on something else. My eyes were a dark red.

"Will her eyes turn the same color as you all?"

"After a transformation, her eyes will change to red, since she will still have human blood within her. It will take several months for them to become like ours," Carlisle answered.

Charlie's eyes narrowed as he opened his mind as he had in the alley earlier that night. _"Then why are your eyes red now?"_

Bella stiffened and I was positive that she had heard her father's thoughts since they were so distinct and loud. "He had to protect me and kill someone that was hurting me."

His eyes snapped to hers. She shook her head, once again, seeking refuge by tucking her face against my shoulder.

"I killed those men in the alley, Charlie," I whispered, looking directly in his eyes.

"Why?"

It was the second time that night one of us had to answer that question. Bella turned to him. "Trust me, Dad. You don't want to know."

"You expect me to believe that you're safe with him, after he killed four men?"

"Charlie," Carlisle started but Charlie shook his head. He stood on his feet, pacing. Every set of eyes followed his movements.

"I'm a damn cop," he muttered. "You killed four men tonight. God damn it, one of them was just nineteen. You expect me to overlook that!"

"Dad!" Bella snapped and tried to stand but needed my assistance. She was still wobbly. I looked at Carlisle in concern. "Trust me. It was either that or me."

"Tell me why."

She shook her head, as her body started to tremble. Tears formed once again, her face blotching with color. I pulled her into my arms, causing Charlie's steps to falter.

"Would you do anything to protect your daughter?" He nodded at my question. "You do it out of love and that is the same reason I killed those men."

"_Why?" _he asked. His mind ran through terrible scenarios on what would drive him to kill for her. I nodded as Rosalie approached him to whisper in his ear. He choked on a groan as she told him what had almost happened to his daughter.

Bella would not look at him, but I knew she realized that we had to tell Charlie. It would alleviate his worries when I took her from their home. Several minutes passed as she softly cried against me and Charlie accepted my explanation.

"Why can't she come back after she's safe?" he asked, his voice nearly cracking, still caught up with emotions of what he had already learned.

"We can, but it would be out of the public eye," I said. "At least, that would be the case if we did not have to break the treaty."

"Will I be able to go see her?"

"Perhaps," I said easily. "But it would be safer that you did not."

"Explain that, please."

"Our upmost rule as what we are is to maintain our secret," Carlisle answered for me. "We have among our kind those that ensure that the rule is followed. Any human that finds out, as Bella, you and Renee have found, would be eliminated."

"Is my mom safe?" Bella asked, pulling back enough to look at me. She curled away from Carlisle's touch, who wanted to check her temperature again. She seemed clueless she had done so.

"As long as she doesn't tell anyone, she should be," I indicated. "Florida is not exactly a hotspot for vampires."

"All right," Charlie said. "So first, you two would have to leave here." When I nodded, he continued. "You will take her somewhere so she can go through this change thing."

"After a year, she should be safe around humans," Esme added. "And if there's a way for you to see her, we can arrange it."

"There's always the internet and phone calls," Alice said, shrugging.

Charlie nodded and looked at Bella. "How soon?"

"Very," she replied.

~oOo~

Hours after Bella had gone to bed, I waited outside for Charlie to go to his room. He was aware that four of us stood watch outside the house. After we made plans, the rest of my family left as Bella called her mother and told her what we decided.

Though Renee was regretful that she could not come see Bella again before we left, she knew we had little choice. I wished things were different and that Bella could have time with her parents before I took her from this life forever.

Too many variables and things could go wrong the longer we waited. A coven of vampires had only just passed through the fringes of the town. Anything could force them back toward Forks, so we kept watch for them. Jacob continued to test the boundaries in attempt to get to Bella. Her powers were taking a toll on her and Carlisle feared that she could catch someone's attention. With Alice's visions constantly shifting, it made everything so uncertain.

I heard the click of the television and Charlie turned off the lamp in the living room. Finally, I was desperate to hold Bella. However, instead of taking the stairs, he opened the front door.

"Come on in, Edward."

It looked like it was time for that talk.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. I tried to tell myself that I won't drag this out, but darn these characters! See you soon.**


	25. In His Eyes

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Four—In His Eyes**

* * *

I simply nodded in response, walking passed him. I took the time to test the limits of his mental block. I knew my gift was and had always been an unfair advantage, but at this point, I would use anything I could to have this man approve of me.

His block had completely dwindled, though I thought it had more to do with exhaustion than anything else. Images of his beautiful daughter flitted across in his thoughts continuously; lingering on some, bypassing others quickly. Those of her hurt, sad, and upset brought up the same intense emotions within him, according to Jasper's monitoring from outside.

Charlie loved her so much, and now, I would be the one to take her away.

I did my best to tune out the rest of his thoughts, unable to cope with the level of deep sadness within him. His heartache would only increase when visits, if we were ever able to see him, would become less frequent as time passed and the risk of exposure increased.

"Have a seat," Charlie said, gesturing to the couch across from his usual chair. I did as he asked, watching him carefully. His eyes met mine squarely, looking for me to do the same. Once I had, he sent me his approval with tiny twitch of his mouth. The man barely showed emotion on the outside, but on the inside, he was in turmoil.

_This is the only way to protect her._

_He loves her, she loves him, that should be enough._

_They're so young!_

_I can't protect her like he can._

"I think you need to leave sooner," he said firmly. "I know she wants to wait at least a few weeks, to give her mother a chance to see her soon, to say goodbye to her friends and to spend some time with me…" he sighed unable to continue, releasing a shuddering breath.

"You think it is too dangerous?"

He nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I'm asking you to convince her to go sooner."

I closed my eyes, because I believed he was right. I wanted to give Bella the time she needed to get her affairs in order. To say her goodbyes, but the longer we waited, the more risks we were taking.

"Bella is very independent," I murmured, meeting his eyes again. "And stubborn, once she has made her choice…"

One of his eyebrows raised and there was another twitch of his lips. "Found that out already, huh?" I stifled a laugh, but he did not manage to, smiling slightly.

"Yes and she has promised to try to not use her gifts unless absolutely necessary."

The look he gave me made me realize that there was not much to that promise since she had little control of her powers. I knew that, if I had the ability to read her thoughts all the time, I would not hesitate to use them. It would be no different for her.

"I understand why she wants this," he stated, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. "To wait and give herself the time she needs to say goodbye. But if Jacob suddenly attacks, or another of your kind shows up, or the wolves decide to take her for him again, she may be tempted to use her gifts to protect herself or you. And that could kill her."

"I agree. She does not have the control she needs. I also do not want her to resent me more when she realizes that being what I am is not easy and have her regret not saying goodbye."

His breath exhaled sharply but he nodded. "There has to be something to get her to leave."

"Despite the fact that I do not wish for anything further to happen, Jacob's insistence may push her to act sooner."

"And you still think your plan is for the best," he whispered, unable to meet my eyes again.

"Yes," I said along with a sigh. "Faking our death, after running away to be together will no doubt cause a lot of rumors, but it would explain why she is not here any longer, why I disappeared, and also, since her mother is in Arizona, they would understand why there would be no funeral here."

The plan would allow my family to remain in Forks until Bella was able to return to an area that humans inhabited. Its success was crucial in that we hoped that Charlie could pull it off as a grieving father. I did not see a problem with that since he already looked it.

Charlie sighed and rose to his feet. He paced the length of the room and looked skyward. "The sooner the better, but I would feel better if it's not because Jacob tried to attack." Another thing I could use to leave earlier would be Charlie. He could be caught in the crossfire between Jacob and Bella again. Facing me, he nearly pleaded, "Get her out of here, Edward. I can't lose her like this. At least if she's with you, I know she's happy. You are what she wants."

It hurt him to say that, but I also understood his fears. I would do anything for her.

"All right," I replied. "I will do what I can to leave sooner."

He nodded and sat back down on his chair. After a few moments, he moved to the very edge of his seat and met my gaze.

"The only other thing I ask is that you don't kill Jacob in cold blood," he said firmly. I closed my eyes for a second and wished had not asked that of me. "I know that Bella comes first, and if you had to kill him in self defense or to protect her, then I will learn to live with it. But going out there," he pointed out the front window, his eyes narrowing, "—hunting him, it would be calculated, cold-blooded murder. And I can't look the other way from that."

My breath exited harshly, my hand finding its way to pull at my hair. "I will not kill him like that. Despite what he has done, I cannot do that to Bella. Even if she believed now that it had to happen that way, she would eventually regret it."

"She would."

"And it would hurt you."

Charlie nodded. "I've known that boy since he was in diapers. I've fished with him, held him in my arms, and even tossed around a football with the Jake. Whatever this wolf transformation did to him, it changed him in ways I had never seen. He was never capable of this type of aggression. It pains me to see him like this, but my daughter comes first. If he attacks her, you do what you have to, to keep her safe."

"I understand, Charlie."

He rubbed his hand over his face and his expression changed. "You two didn't say a word about what you will be to each other." I grimaced. No, we had not, but Bella and I had very little time to talk alone since we had come to the decision to share our futures together. "Though it's obvious," he added.

"I will be there for Bella in any capacity she wishes," I murmured. "But I want her to become my wife." He looked surprised. "I was born in a time that it would be the next logical step, Charlie." He winced at my words; he did not want to know how old I was. "I am what most would call old-fashioned."

He blushed under my unwavering gaze and I read his thoughts. I was thankful that I was unable to react the same way as he thought that his daughter's virginity was likely still intact. "What are you asking me, kid?"

"I would like to ask for Bella's hand in marriage," I stated firmly. Though Bella and I had not discussed it, it might be the only chance I had to do it right. That started with asking for Charlie's blessing.

"For eternity," he replied softly. "That brings a whole new meaning to 'until death do us part'."

I smiled gently. "Yes, it does. For _my kind_," I said, refusing to use the proper term. It would only make him more nervous. "When we find that special someone, it really is for forever. There could never be anyone else."

"That doesn't make me feel better," he murmured, his brow furrowing with concern. "Are you saying that if something happened to one of you that the other wouldn't be able to go on?"

I swallowed. "I have never seen anyone of my kind lose their," I paused, running my fingers through my hair nervously. "Lose their mate before, but I have heard that when one does, he or she is never the same again. I would never let anything happen to her."

He nodded. "I know you'll do everything to keep her safe."

"I will."

"But how about her happiness?" he asked warily.

I sighed and smiled at him once again. "That is all I want for her. If she told me tomorrow that the only way she could be happy is for me to let her go, I would do it."

"You would?"

"In a heartbeat," I whispered. "I love her that much. I would, of course, make sure she was safe before I left her."

"She'll never walk away," Charlie whispered, shaking his head. "I see the way she looks at you. I saw how she clung to you after," he choked, wiping a hand over his mouth, "what happened to her tonight."

"She will get through this," I replied softly. He was hurt but understood why she had shied away from his touch or even Carlisle's. He had seen that kind of behavior before in other sexual assault victims.

"I think she will, too." He looked out the window, stilling when he heard the distinct sound of a growl. Turning to face me once again, he looked me in the eyes. "You have my blessing to marry my daughter."

A piercing howl slashed through the sheet of rain that fell over Forks. Charlie shuddered. "He heard, didn't he?"

I nodded just as Bella, upstairs in her room, cried out for me. "Nightmare," I whispered, my eyes snapping toward the stairs.

Charlie cleared his throat. "You go on up," he offered. "I know you want to and she needs you."

"Thank you." I started toward the stairs as his thoughts penetrated suddenly.

"_And Edward," Charlie thought, "Don't tell me when you'll take her. Just go when you're ready. I can't keep waiting for that day or to say goodbye."_

At the foot of the stairs, I looked back at him. His eyes were somber, glazed with unshed tears. "Yes, sir."

He nodded and sighed in relief, closing his eyes and allowing his head to fall back against his chair. I watched him for a second, his heart breaking before my very eyes. Once again, someone was going to take his daughter away from him.

I entered Bella's room a second later, leaving the door slightly ajar. I found her with the sheets twisted around her feet, her body arched away from the bed and her hands clawing at her stomach. I took a hold of her wrists, my touch seemingly soothing her. She exhaled and relaxed against the mattress. Slowly, I slipped beside her, always keeping a hand on her.

The moment I laid back on the bed, her body melted against my side. Her warmth was both wonderful and exhilarating. Would it always be like this? Dormant feelings coursed through me, similar to that night I watched her change her clothing. As wretched as I felt for intruding during a private moment, I could not help how much seeing her like that thrilled me.

"Edward," she mumbled softly in her sleep. Her nose and mouth nuzzled against my chest. "Don't go."

I wrapped my arms fully around her, running a couple of fingers down her back. "I will go only where you will, my love."

She sighed and nuzzled further in my embrace. "Good. All mine."

I laughed at the almost childish pitch of her voice. "Yours, forever."

I thought she had finally drifted into deeper cycle of sleep when she had not answered, but several minutes later, she said, "Forever."

~oOo~

I watched Bella for a moment, as she looked out the window of my car. "Are you ready for this?" She smiled but said nothing. Of course, that drove me a little crazy. I hated that her wall around her mind was as strong as ever. "Bella?"

"I'm ready," she murmured, meeting my eyes. "I can't imagine what everyone will think when we arrive together."

I smirked and shook my head, taking her hand in mind. I pressed a kiss against her palm, and sighing as she curled it along my jaw. "Does it matter what they think of you?"

"Nope."

"Good," I said with a laugh. "After today, we are going to be the main topic of gossip for weeks."

She sighed. "I'll refrain from listening to all their theories."

"Theories?"

"Of why someone like you would be with me."

I rolled my eyes. "You have a wolf after you and a vampire that loves you more than anything," I growled, my eyes narrowing at the unexpected smile on her face. "And had a few _boys_ ask you to the prom, and yet, you still do not see yourself as someone beautiful."

"I never said that," she sighed. "What I meant that I'm not as snobbish as you all seemed to be." She started to laugh, sticking out her tongue when I growled at her. "Don't deny it. That first day you gave me a passing glance as if I wasn't worth your time. And from what I remember from that first week, all of you were like that with anyone not in your family."

"It was a safety measure."

"Whatever you say," she sang. I could see what she was doing. After the morning she had, facing her father once she realized I had spent the night in her bed, and he knew, she had been trying to lighten the tension that surrounded us since we had come to our decision. It also helped that Sam reported only an hour earlier that Jacob had ran north, hitting the Canadian border earlier that morning.

"Do you always argue like this?"

She gave me a shy smile. "Not really. I usually hate drawing attention to myself and that goes for confrontations, too. What can I say? You seem to bring out that side of me."

"I wonder if that is a good thing," I grumbled under my breath as I pulled into a parking spot.

"Still want to spend eternity with me?" Even though I knew she was just being playful, I could still hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes, you would certainly keep me on my toes," I replied and sighed, looking out the window. Though it was cloudy outside, there would be a bit of sun at lunch. It was a good thing we would be indoors, but after lunch, I would have to leave for the remainder of the day. We already arranged for Bella's safety and that I would meet her at her house after Charlie picked her up from school.

I turned to look at her again. "Before we go out there, I want to ask you something."

"This sounds serious." She adjusted herself, sitting upright and turning to look at me, warily.

"I want to take you somewhere today," I said softly. "Show you a place before we have to leave."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Somewhere I like to go."

"That's all you're giving me?" she questioned. I smiled and nodded. "I'll go anywhere with you."

She would and I knew it. Before, it would have horrified me. Now, with our futures intertwined, there was anticipation, love, and hope.

"You ready?" I asked against, cocking my head toward the windshield. She huffed and took several deep breaths.

"Let's do this."

I laughed and exited my car. She waited inside, since I told her before that I enjoyed treating her right and that meant being a little chivalrous. I walked around and opened the door for her, and already, several students turned to watch us. Taking a hold of her hand, I helped her out. She raised an eyebrow in question when I pulled her close to me. I gave her a tender smile and watched as she blushed. I loved that reaction and held her face in my hands.

"What are you doing?" she said breathlessly.

"I figured we should give them something to talk about." A line formed between her brows just as her lips tipped up into an undeniable smile. "Plus, I want to kiss you desperately."

My lips brushed hers softly, gasping when she pressed herself closer. It was hardly the place or time, but I could not help my reaction. I growled lowly as I snaked an arm around her waist, still cupping her face with the other and deepened the kiss.

Though I knew people were watching, their thoughts and the sounds of the town around us fell away. All my thoughts revolved around her. Keeping myself from taking more of her would prove difficult in the days to come. We had two choices. Work up to what we both wanted to share with each other or wait until she was changed.

Either way would be torture.

Bella moaned softly, her lips softening even further beneath my own. My hand around her waist curled along her hip, pressing her further against the car. As I felt her body mold along mine, soft and hard, I knew waiting could prove difficult. I pulled back so she could breath, panting, smiling, and finally feeling a little free to love her, as she deserved.

If we were going to show the students of Forks High that we were together, we might as well to it thoroughly.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. **


	26. Inquiring Minds

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Five—Inquiring Minds**

* * *

I clasped her hand and slipped on a pair of sunglasses. I could see Bella roll her eyes from the corner of mine, but smiled as she looked down to her feet. She arranged her backpack on her shoulder, but handed to me when I asked for it silently with a quirk of my brow. She was being very accommodating. It seemed very unlike her.

"What are you up to?" I murmured, walking past several students, who stood with their mouths agape.

"I can be reasonable, you know."

"I never said you were incapable of reason." I squeezed her hand. "However, it is hard to believe that you changed your views on certain things."

She tipped her chin up, tossing her hair behind a shoulder. "Well, I started to think about the time that you were raised." Her voice was low enough for only me to hear, but still drew questioning glances from those around us. I pulled her tightly against my side so that it least appeared that she was whispering to me. "It makes perfect sense for you to want to do these types of things for me. I just need to learn to appreciate it and not give you a hard time on something you've been taught."

"Does that mean I can buy you a car?" The glare she sent me gave me an answer. I sighed. "It was worth a try." Ignoring the questions that seemed to be bombarding me from every direction and student, I led Bella toward the office.

"Is it bad?" she hissed, finally acknowledging that everyone was watching us.

"Not really, most are envious."

She snorted and shook her head. "Mike doesn't look happy." I grinned and kissed her cheek, feeling a little smug at that thought and the way the boy bristled.

"We are only confirming his worst fears," I murmured. She rolled her eyes, laughing under her breath as we passed Mike. "Or second worst fear."

"Oh God," Bella whispered. "I do not want to know what the first is."

"No, you would not."

After gathering some paperwork from a slightly addled Mrs. Cope, we made our way toward our first class.

"Did you really have to do that to her?"

"If we are going to keep you safe, I need to be in every class with you," I stated firmly. "Besides, I hardly did a thing to her."

"Edward, the woman was quite literally about to faint from your voice and the not so innocent look in your eyes."

I cocked an eyebrow in question. "It amazes me that you recognize my ability to render women helpless, but you seem completely unfazed."

She grinned. "I never said I wasn't fazed," she said, stopping short of the door. We moved aside to let the other students pass as we waited for the last possible moment to enter. "I just know how to recover faster."

The fact that I affected her, as she did for me, made me smile. "That is good to know," I said. It felt good to be able to talk to her in this manner. It was so different from all the seriousness, the desperation, and spiraling, out of control emotions that had filled our days in the past.

It gave me some hope that when I asked her to join me after school, that she would follow and listen.

~oOo~

The morning passed quickly at times, all because Bella and I had been conversing through a series of letters throughout each class. The only moments that seemed to linger was when we could not pass notes with one another due to seating arrangements.

She had managed to control her gifts through most of the day. There was only a small surge in her core body temperature when Lauren had attempted to trip her on the way toward her seat with her foot. Bella had barely caught herself against her desk, largely due to fact that I had a hand on her arm. The incident embarrassed her but she reined in her power. The vindictive thoughts in Lauren's mind were vile and hurtful and I was glad for the fact that Bella could not read them. My natural inclination to protect her from such incidents resurfaced, but a gentle squeeze of Bella's hand in mine brought me to my senses.

By the time, we made it to the cafeteria, news of our relationship that included a moderate sum of PDA, had reached the entire school. Normally, I would not be affectionate since it was not something that was practiced in front of others when I was human. However, since we had to appear to be together, we often gave in to our desires to touch and glance at one another as if no one else was in the room.

Despite Lauren's attempt at hurting Bella earlier, we walked toward the table that Bella would normally sit at, along with her friends. Angela paused long enough from biting into a green apple to smile at us both. The rest of the table was not as accommodating.

The boys that I had once thought my competition all hissed or grumbled under their breaths. Jessica shared a look with Lauren but when she faced Bella, she cocked an eyebrow in question.

"So, it's true. You have your memory back?" she asked, glancing at me for a second.

Bella nodded. "Most of it," she replied. "But the day of the accident in here is still a blur."

"Oh God," Jessica groaned. "I totally lost my Kohl eyeliner in that chaos. That was a crazy day."

"Sure was," Angela added. "Everybody was running because of the sprinklers and screaming. The school still can't figure out why they had come on."

Jessica shook her head in disgust. "Yeah. Anyway, Bella," she smiled as she continued. "So you two are like a couple, couple?"

I smiled and turned to look at Bella, who blushed as everyone at the table watched her carefully. Lifting her hand in my own, I answered for her. "Yes, we are."

"Like wow," Jessica stated, gaping as I kissed Bella's palm. "Does that mean you're going to prom together?" I kept my grimace from surfacing, but Bella did not manage to keep it from her features.

"I'll be visiting my mom after all that day," she answered quickly. "The tickets are non-refundable."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Come on, Bella. This is the prom and you have a boyfriend." Her thoughts angered me enough for my eyes to narrow as I looked at her.

"_Take it easy, Edward,"_ Jasper said, outside of the school, on patrol. _"You're gonna burn a hole through her."_

Jessica actually believed that it would likely be the only prom Bella would attend with a boyfriend, had even expressed in her thoughts that our relationship would likely not last long enough for us to attend anyway. Jealously and envy were truly evil in some people.

I was not sure how Bella would handle this new development and I was thankful that she was unable to hear the thoughts around us. Jessica was not the only one to think this way.

Bella must have sensed the tension within me, gathering that something someone was thinking was the reason. I met her gaze and shook my head, silently telling her not to even think about using her gifts.

"Edward is coming with me to see my mother." How easy the lie slipped from her lips. I kept the shock from my features again, but managed a little smile.

That little statement caused a mild chain reaction through the entire table. Jessica choked on her next words; Lauren sprayed some lemonade clear across the table, hitting a shocked Mike and Eric. Angela smiled to herself, watching us through a veil of her dark hair. She was happy for us. At least one of them was.

"Wow," was all Jessica could say after that. Angela brought up the science project due in three weeks, turning the conversation elsewhere.

"What are you two doing yours on?" she asked me. She was the only one that directed a question toward me all day.

"The effect different types of music have on plants," I answered easily. Bella laughed under her breath, shaking her head. Though she had not been involved in the project because of all that she had been through in the last couple of weeks, Alice had started it for us. Just in case.

The three of us discussed it, shortly joined by Ben, who seemed interested in not only the subject but Angela as well. Bella noticed quickly and nudged them to talk to each other more.

"_Time to go," _Jasper indicated. _"The sunshine is about to come overhead. Take the south exit. I'll wait for you before I go for a run around the perimeter."_

I sighed, pulling out my cell phone to check the time, the signal for Bella for when I would have to leave. She looked at me, squeezing my hand. "Time to go?" she asked.

I nodded and brushed my lips over hers softly. "Unfortunately, walk me to the car?" She nodded and grabbed her bag as I rose to my feet to take our barely touched food. That, of course, caused everyone at the table to watch us, and she blushed under their questioning glances.

"Let's go," she murmured, unable to meet anyone's gaze. After dumping our trays, I took her backpack and hand. We walked past other students, who continued to hurl thoughts in our direction. With every step, I felt Bella's temperature rise.

Damn.

"Fight it, Bella," I hissed, quickening our pace.

The moment we exited the cafeteria, away from prying eyes, Bella breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh," she sighed. "That was hard. I didn't want to hear what they were thinking but my shield kept trying to lash out at everyone."

"A power with a mind of its own, it seems," I whispered as I led us toward the car. I wanted Bella to join me, since I hated the fact that we would be apart for a few hours. However, I could not do it since she seemed determined to finish the day among her friends. She might have known them for only a while, but they were still a part of her life.

"You seem nervous," she asked, lifted our intertwined hands to her mouth. My breath caught at the warmth of her lips on my skin.

"I am."

"I'll be fine."

"And I will be close by."

"You better not watch me in Gym."

I laughed as she rolled her eyes, knowing that it was unlikely that I would be to resist such a temptation. "Speaking of Gym," I said, giving her no promises. "Here is a doctor's note," I murmured, removing it from my pocket.

She opened it, curious by the look in my eyes. Her nose and brow scrunched adorably as she fisted the note in her hand, "Yes, no gym," she hummed, pumping her hand in the air.

It was good to see her so carefree. The first in days, weeks even, and I was sure it had to do with the news we received from Sam earlier that morning. Jacob had seemed to gone deep in the Canadian forests, nursing a broken heart. Had it not been from the thoughts I read directly from the Alpha, I would not have believed it.

I knew that we had not seen the last of Jacob, but for the moment, I would enjoy Bella while she like that.

For it would not last long.

~oOo~

I remained outside the school, across the parking lot in a tree, overlooking the gymnasium. The half dozen protectors that circled the building, watching for any threat, occupied my mind long enough to abide Bella's wishes.

After a thorough kiss in the parking lot, I had reluctantly let her return to class. I had watched her through the rest of the day, using fellow students' thoughts to keep an eye on her. She spoke animatedly with her Spanish teacher, inquiring about places she had traveled, including Rio. She was laying the groundwork for our plan to run away together.

They would speculate for weeks after our disappearance before Charlie and Carlisle would announce our deaths in a boating accident.

"Almost time," Rosalie said, approaching from behind me. I quietly landed, cocking an eyebrow in question. "Don't look so surprised."

"You have expressed your distaste for my decision," I said, looking to the sky for the sun's position. I would have to remain in shadows to follow Charlie and Bella home.

"I know," she murmured, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I won't say I'm sorry, but I am happy to see you happy."

I laughed. "You cannot have my car."

She pouted. "I wasn't asking for it. I have to commend you for saving her." Her eyes shuttered close, as I immediately tuned her dark thoughts, remembering that day that no one came to her rescue until it was too late. "I don't envy having doubts."

"Doubts?"

"On if it's only her love for you that drove her to make this choice." I stilled as I watched her walk away.

It was only a second later that Jasper clasped my shoulder. "Don't listen to her," he whispered. "When Bella told her she made her decision, the only emotion I picked up was her love for you."

"Yeah, bro," Emmett said from behind me. "She had to have the last word. You know how she is."

I rolled my eyes, nodding. "I know." She had however, planted the seed that would always be there now. I would have to ignore it or I would do something I might regret.

~oOo~

By the time Charlie and Bella pulled up in the driveway, I was waiting on their porch. I opened the door for her, earning a soft smile.

"Where are you two heading?" Charlie asked, slowly looking around and over his shoulder.

"To see the family," I replied easily, thankful that the clouds had blanketed most of Forks only minutes earlier.

"She'll be safe, right?"

"Dad!" Bella hissed, shaking her head. I nodded in reply. "Happy now?" She turned toward me again. "Will someone stay to watch him?"

"Bella!" Charlie huffed. I would have laughed at how much they were alike, as they glared at each other.

"Sam and four others will stay."

"I don't think that's necessary," Charlie grumbled.

Bella sighed, turning toward her father as he allowed us inside their home. "Dad, I'm sorry that you feel that way. But at this point, I wouldn't put it past Jacob to use you to get to us."

Charlie sighed, nodding and sitting in his usual chair in the living room. "Fine. Will you back for dinner?"

I answered for Bella, "My family, namely Carlisle and Esme, would like to make her dinner." I chuckled and shrugged at Bella's curious look. "They have not had to cook for someone in a long time, Bella."

"I'll see about bringing you back something," she told her father, kissing him on the cheek.

"All right, kid," Charlie said gruffly, and turned to look at me. "I'll see you _two_ soon since I'm sure you'll be spending the night to watch her again." He knew me too well, it seemed. Bella blushed and practically ran out the door, leaving a laughing Charlie behind.

Once we were outside, Bella realized that my car was nowhere in sight. She turned to look at me and pursed her lips, waiting for an explanation.

I smirked, unable to resist showing off to her. Just a little piece of who and what I was. Leading the way toward the back of the house, I walked to the forest's edge in their backyard.

"Edward?" she said softly, unsure of what was happening.

Holding out my hand, I said, "Come take a walk with me." There was no hesitation as she laid her hand in mine.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. See you soon. **


	27. The Meadow

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Six—The Meadow**

* * *

There was something peaceful in the air around us as I raised her hand to kiss it gently. The smile on her face questioned me silently, but I only smiled in response.

"We will be traveling my way," I murmured.

Her eyes widened, her bottom lip twisting under her teeth for a few moments. "All right, but that's not a _walk,_" she whispered. "I don't think I can get used to that kind of 'travel.'" She rolled her eyes and circled a finger so that I would turn around. I laughed as I did what she asked, bending enough for her climb onto my back.

"If I didn't know how strong you were, I'd say I was too heavy." She adjusted her arms around my shoulders, her breath gliding along my jaw and neck. It felt wonderful.

"And I would be a gentleman and say you are as light as a feather." It was the truth, after all, with my strength, but as a human, she would still be light. She was very petite.

Her laughter followed us for several seconds as I sped through the forest. I winced at the soft startled yelp from Charlie, who had been watching us from a window. I had only allowed him to see because he needed more reassurance that I would be able to keep his daughter safe. My speed, I hoped, would help him see that.

I felt Bella's cheek nuzzle gently against my own. Her breath was warm and pleasant, reminding me once again of our differences.

"You are distracting me," I murmured, lightly treading my way toward our destination.

"How?"

"Your breath."

She laughed softly and I felt her thighs tighten around me. "Does that mean you're going to hit a tree?"

It was my turn to laugh. "Don't be silly, Bella."

"Are you saying that it's not possible for you to hit a tree?"

"No. I see everything in perfect clarity, from the leaves on the trees to the ants on the ground."

"Can you still do that with your eyes closed?"

"Yes," I replied softly. "My other senses would make up for my loss of sight."

She hummed in response, her lips lightly vibrating against my neck. I nearly groaned aloud, but stifled it. Bella stiffened suddenly when I realized that she could feel any sounds I had attempted to hide with her hands so close to my throat. She was a clever girl.

"I knew you can whisper so soft I can't hear, but I can feel it." The playfulness from earlier in our day had returned in her voice. I smiled as I sped up, since there was no denying her words. She huffed, her hold tightening even more around me. I had no doubt she had her eyes closed.

"How much farther?" she asked.

It was, in fact, less than a mile away. However, I chose a more scenic route, even though we moved too fast for her to see much. I had only taken it so I could have her close for a while longer.

"We are almost there," I replied, making a sharp turn. I started to slow down, the clearing up ahead.

"Will I be able to run this fast?"

There was a small part of me, one that would always remain with me, that did not want her to be changed. Having her question what she would be like after her transformation brought that desire up to the surface. If there was a way for her to remain human without aging so she could spend eternity with me, I would take it.

Yet, the other part of me looked forward to what the future held with her.

"In the first several months after your change," I started, slowly kneeling for her to climb off my back. Once she stood in front of me, only slightly dizzy from the run, I continued, "You will be the fastest among us."

She cocked her head to one side. "Are you the fastest in your family?"

I smiled and nodded, taking her hand in mine and leading her toward the sunlight that still filtered through the trees. We only had a couple of hours of sun, so I wanted to make the most of it.

"And for a while, I'll be faster than even you?"

I squeezed her hand, my smile widening. "And stronger."

She hummed as if she could not comprehend something like that. The small grin she had disappeared as she froze for a moment. "Are we really going to see your family later?"

"Yes," I replied. "Does that bother you?"

She shrugged, her hand coming up to run through her hair. "I've caused so much trouble, I'm afraid that they'll realize that I'm not worth it."

I stood in front of her. When she thought of herself in that way, I felt her walls build up immediately, along with a bridge too wide to jump across to form, separating us. Slowly, I lifted each of my hands to cradle her face.

"You are worth it to them simply because I love you."

Her eyes, wide and so full with emotions started to brim with tears. "So much has happened, Edward. I'm a danger to all of them."

"And we are going to take every precaution we can for your transformation."

"I don't want to hurt anyone."

I sighed and brushed her lips with mine, and as with every other kiss before, the world and our worries dissipated. Soft to hard, warm to cold, she sighed when I pulled away after several moments.

"We will find a way, Bella," I whispered. "As long as we are together."

Her hands fisted my shirt, resting on my chest. "I want that so much."

"Come," I said, taking her hand and leading her forward. "We are almost there."

"I remember you didn't always talk so formally," she said after a few seconds. Her brow wrinkled in confusion as if she tried to remember every conversation.

I shrugged. "Not at first, again, it was to fit in. Once you made it clear wanted to know the real me, around you, I _don't _talk like everybody else."

"Around Charlie, too," she pointed out.

"Because you are there," I replied, holding a bush back so she would not trip over a hidden tree root. "I think I have gotten used to it." I smiled. "Does it bother you?"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's just one more thing that separates you from the hormonal masses." A blush swept rapidly over her cheeks and neck. "I can't believe I said that, considering I'm one of them."

"Not anymore," I murmured. "You never were, despite what you probably think." She gave me a dismissive wave, but gasped as she stepped into a circle of dwindling sunlight.

"Oh, it's beautiful," she said, walking further within the light. "I can take a wild guess that Alice knew it would be sunny here." Suddenly, she stilled when she realized I had not followed her. She turned back to look at me, still within the shadows beneath the protection of the trees.

"Do you remember how I said that I cannot be out in public when the sun is out?"

Confusion was clearly written on her sweet face, as she bit her lips nervously. "Yes, but you also told me that it doesn't hurt you."

"Not like the movie vampires," I whispered."Give me a moment."

Would this be the one thing to scare her away from me forever? No. I did not believe that, because she loved me too much. What I did to deserve such emotions from her, I would never understand.

As if she sensed how nervous I was, she stepped further into the meadow, her arms opening wide and tipping her face skyward. It was such an inviting image that I could not help but gravitate toward her. Had it not been like that since the beginning?

The wild grass and flowers nearly reached halfway to her knees, but she did not let that hinder her movements. "I'm so afraid to ruin this place," she murmured, still allowing the sun to bathe her face. "One scare and I'll kill everything within this secret place."

"You are safe here," I said, touching the apple of her cheek. She did not startle, as if she realized I had been there beside her for the last several seconds. With her eyes still closed, her chin dropped to her chest and she took a deep breath. She was preparing herself to see me.

"Open your eyes, Bella," I whispered as I held my breath, waiting.

Her dark lashes fluttered against her cheek as if she fought whether to do what I asked or not. Finally, after several moments, her dark eyes met mine. They widened slightly as she took me in, her heart rate increasing with every passing second. Without any hesitation, her fingers lifted to touch the side of my face, and the space between her eyebrows wrinkling with confusion or awe. Taking her other hand in mine, I kissed her fingertips.

"It is all part of the package," I murmured. I could see the doubt about herself in her eyes so clearly. "It is to lure you and others like you in."

"If others saw you like this, no one would run. They'd be too mesmerized." The fingers near my lips traced them lightly, eliciting a shuddering breath from me. With her fragrant skin and blood so near my teeth, I could not help the venom that coated the back of my throat. "You are beautiful."

I did not want to mar the moment with my own self-deprecating thoughts and chose instead to smile shyly at her. She gasped again and laughed, taking my face between her hands.

"You are beautiful," she repeated fiercely, rising to her toes to brush her lips over mine. Her kiss was soft, but tentative. It was my turn to look confused when she pulled away only a moment later. How did she know? "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I know enough to know what you're thinking when I say something like that."

"In a way, it is another similarity between us," I said softly, laughing when she rolled her eyes. "See."

She chose not to respond and carefully sat in a small area that I had cleared to lay down weeks earlier. "How often do you come here?" she asked, raising her hand for me. I held it as I dropped down beside her.

"Not very much since all that has happened between us," I replied. "Before you continue with the questions, you do not seem to be surprised by what I look like in the sun."

She smiled and nodded. "During one of my episodes, I managed to see memories of the others through your thoughts. So I had an idea of what you'd look like in the sun, just not how _you _would look."

"I see."

Her smile reached her eyes as she fell back against the grass slowly. "You still surprised me, though," she said. "I didn't think you could be more beautiful."

I rolled my eyes and mimicked her pose, stretching out beside her. She closed her eyes beneath the sunlight. Our clasped hands lay between us and I watched as she raised them up. Her gaze turned toward our hands, examining the differences. The multifaceted colors that shimmered from my skin shone brightly against her paleness.

"Do you see more colors than us mere mortals do?"

"Yes," I whispered, turning my eyes toward the sky. I hummed beneath by breath, allowing her to remove her hand from mine. She did not release me, though; instead, she held it in the other to trace the smoothness of my palm. During our transformation, wrinkles and scars disappeared but for some reason, any noticeable veins remained, as did the lines in our hands and feet. However, we left no fingerprints behind; another mystery for which our kind had no answers.

Her touch felt as if a feather brushed along all the sensitive nerves in my skin. I turned to look at her, to find her eyes following the exploration of her fingers.

"Your hair is amazing under the sunlight," I murmured, lifting a hand to run through it. Her teeth tortured the corner of her mouth and I knew she desperately wanted to see herself through my eyes. "Only for a moment," I whispered. I feared that if she held onto the desire for too long, that her gifts would erupt suddenly, and it could prove deadly if it happened at the wrong place and time.

She nodded and I felt the shield encompass me as if it was only smoke. Her breath caught in her throat, her beautiful eyes widening as she shared my thoughts. I continued to play with her hair so she could see, watching as her mouth dropped open.

"I look like that to you," she said in stunned surprise, instantly building the wall back up. I relaxed further once she was no longer using her gifts and knew she was safe again.

"I told you so," I teased. I moved my hand once more down her hair to cup her cheek.

She huffed and pouted playfully, unaware what such a gesture did to me. "No matter how much of gentleman you are, I see that you're not above saying something like that."

I laughed and turned my body to face hers fully. She did the same, shifting so that our heads were level. She was so much shorter than I, her feet barely reaching my shins. Unable to resist being closer to her, especially after spending a night with her in my arms, I slipped my legs around and between hers. She smiled at me, cocking an eyebrow.

"I am not always a gentleman, Bella." Her eyes asked the question on the tip of her tongue. I told myself I would never lie to her again, and omitting would be just as bad. "Now, what I am about to tell you, will no doubt change that opinion of yours about me."

"I doubt it."

I sighed, watching her closely as I told her about that night in her closet. How I had seen her undress, and how I wanted to know what her skin felt like beneath my fingers. All the while, her features remained blank, a first in quite some time. After I finished with my confession, she remained quiet, still watching me with her soulful eyes.

"Say something, please," I said hoarsely, not at all surprised by the huskiness of my voice.

"I didn't know you would think like that, I guess," she said, her face flushing with warmth and color. "Considering you were born in a time when you still had chaperoned outings!"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "For the most part, yes, I was raised to be chivalrous and courteous to women. At the time, I paid little attention to female populace, since I was more interested in becoming a soldier and hearing any news on the war. However, despite the fact that era was widely romanticized in many books and movies, there was a seedier and darker side to every time period."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You're talking about what you'd seen when you left Carlisle and Esme."

"Yes," I murmured. "I was shocked the first time I had come into contact with many humans at once. People very rarely say what they are actually thinking and then the depravity in those like men that attacked…" My jaw clenched in remembrance of the night before. Her fingers skimmed the skin beneath my eyes. I was thankful that I had taken the time to gorge on animal blood, already masking the startling red from the human blood I had drank.

Looking past her, I remembered a time I was both ashamed of and felt some vindication for my actions. It was, at the time, these often contradicting emotions that eventually led to my return to my family. "You have seen first hand what I am capable of," I met her dark, too perceptive gaze again. "Yet, you are still here with me."

"There's no place I'd rather be, Edward." The tips of her fingers continued their delicious torture along the bridge of my nose and each of my eyebrows. Lightly, they fell upon my lashes, following the curve of the lids. "Is this all right?"

"Yes." My hand came to rest on her hip; the other propped up my head to allow her more access. I wanted her touch on me at all times. Breathless anticipation and trepidation overwhelmed my senses, never knowing where she would brush her maddening fingers next.

Her heart rate increased again, and twice, I heard her start to whisper something, but she stopped each time. It was the third such occurrence that she finally had her say, a blush covering her skin from the roots of her hair to the top hem of her blouse.

"Did you like what you saw that night?"

* * *

**AN: Betaed kyla713. See you soon ;)**


	28. The Talk

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven—The Talk**

* * *

Her question had the air in my lungs leak out in a soft hiss, my body stilled and my hand gripped her hip tighter. Dark brown eyes watched every flicker of emotion flash in my gaze.

"Yes," I answered honestly. Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, and I knew she wanted to hear more. I had to make some things clear before she said anything further. "With my gift, unfortunately, I have seen more than I wanted to from the minds of her others." Her eyes widened further, her hands leaving me and folding over her chest in embarrassment. "Look at me, Bella." When her gaze met mine again, I kissed her lips softly. "You are the most beautiful to me among them all."

She swallowed nervously, licking her lips gently. "Have you been with, you know, anyone before?"

I smiled, chuckling. "No. Not before or since my change." I hoped she would answer the same question, though it was obvious she was as inexperienced as I was. Her hesitance and shyness toward the subject was telling.

"Oh," she sighed and smiled. "Me either."

"Bella," I whispered, shaking my head. "We cannot go too far physically."

Her forehead furrowed and I softly touched the crease between her eyebrows. "I know that," she said softly. "It's kind of obvious because of your strength, even with my healing ability. The few times that I read your mind, I can see how much you have to concentrate when you touch me." Color rose in her cheeks again. "If I lose my senses when you kiss me, I can't imagine it being easy for you to keep up those constant calculations in your head. I don't see you taking hurting me very well."

I hoped the sincerity was clear in my eyes. "No, I would not. You are right, it is a constant struggle when we are that close."

"Does that mean we can't do anything?" she asked, turning her eyes from mine. I used a finger to tip her chin up so I could watch her. "I mean, if you wanted to, that is." A lovely flush warmed her cheeks again.

"Bella," I said gently, stroking the skin along her jaw. "Do not think for a moment that I do not want you in every way possible that a man wants the woman he loves."

"Oh," she gasped. "But we can't at all because you might hurt me? It's not like what we have done hasn't been incredible." We both averted our eyes for a moment, but I noticed the shy smile on her lips matched mine.

"It has been incredible," I murmured, brushing my thumb over her chin and across her bottom lip. "I want more." I could see the question in her eyes, since she could not hear my last words.

After a second, I sighed. I had a similar conversation with Carlisle while she slept the night before, about what we could and could not do before her change. The intense moments on the couch in her living room, led me to desire her more than ever. If we wanted to move forward, I needed to take every precaution. There were concerns that Carlisle had brought to my attention, and something else that had to happen before her change. That would have to wait for another time.

Several seconds had passed and she said something else, changing the subject. "My dream last night was so weird."

My eyebrows shot up. "You mean the nightmare you had?"

She looked thoughtful, but shook her head. "That, I expected." Shrugging, and by the look of her, needing to steer away from that directions of our talk. I let it go for the moment. "No, it was of you and Charlie having a strange conversation."

One of my concerns might have proved justified. Carlisle and I speculated that Bella's gifts would manifest while she slept when she had little or no control over them. I needed to be sure.

"What was it about?"

She laughed and placed her hands on my chest, looking at me with bright, inquisitive eyes. "That you're old-fashioned and that you made my dad just a little happy that I was _intact_." She looked mortified for a second, scrunching her eyes shut. "I'm hoping that Charlie doesn't ever want to have 'the talk.'"

I sighed. She had, in fact, seen the discussion I had with Charlie the night before. "What is it?"

"It was not a dream," I murmured, running a hand over her hair. "Your father and I had a talk last night. He needed to ask some things from me."

Her eyes opened and the shock only lasted for a few seconds, her scowl returning.

"You mean not to commit cold blood murder," she hissed, closing her eyes. "As if Jacob doesn't deserve it." Before I could respond, she placed a couple of fingers on my mouth to stop me. "I know that you feel that I'd regret it. I heard that much of the conversation. And maybe I would, eventually." I cocked an eyebrow. I knew she would. "All right, I would. I didn't get a chance to know him well, but from what I remember and saw of him before all of this, it's not like him." She scowled, shaking her head. "And that's enough about him. He doesn't deserve to ruin our day after everything he's already done. Anyway, the rest of the talk is kind of a blur."

I exhaled deeply. Though I wanted to know her views on marriage, I did not want her to know my intentions until the proper moment. There was the fact her parents' marriage might have marred her perception of that level of commitment. I should be satisfied with the fact that she wanted to spend eternity together; instead, I wanted more. To be tied to her in all ways, both human and immortal.

I felt her body temperature as it rose beneath my touch. My eyes met hers and I could see her fight to keep her gifts at bay. I could only imagine the struggle. The way her power thrashed against its confinement reminded me of my own caged monster.

"Distract me," she whimpered, rolling onto her back. Her hands clutched her head. "I know you're thinking about that talk and I want to know so badly that I can't help it."

The man in me thought of only way to distract her, and I acted instinctively. Rising on my forearm, I pulled her body beneath mine, careful of my weight. My lips pressed to hers, eliciting a deep, body-shivering moan. Warmth continued to emanate from her, tempered for the moment by my touch.

"We talked about what you mean to me," I murmured, skimming her jaw, pulling away to allow her to breathe. She gasped and moaned, still holding onto her head. "What we would mean to each other."

"Mates," she gasped, her body twisting in the grass and against me. It was incredibly difficult to stop myself from pressing closer.

Was it too much for her? I did not know what to do._ Should I bite her_ and start the transformation?

Her hands clasped my face, and she shook her head. "It just feels so good." Confusion filled my eyes and features. "It's your kiss, Edward, your touch. That's all."

The confirmation was all over her face. In her breathy gasps, the thundering rhythm of her heart, and the scent of her arousal. I groaned and crushed my mouth to hers. Her hands clutched to my shoulders, holding onto me as if I could disappear. I held her face in my own, my thumbs brushing her cheeks, loving the warmth that rushed to the surface of her skin.

In the smallest of increments, I lowered my body more fully onto hers. It was like adding fuel to an incendiary fire, for us both. Though it pained me to do so, I lowered my hands from her face, digging my fingers into the soft earth beneath her. She however, tried to pull me closer.

"Tell me more," she whispered. Her breath was hot and perfection against my ear. I could feel the tiny pinpricks of her gift in my head and knew if I did not answer her questions, she would unleash her power and hurt herself in the process. Possibly even killing her, and I knew I had to do what I could to prevent it. "Curiosity killed the cat," was her breathless reply, confirming that she could hear my thoughts.

She gasped at the feel of my lips at the hollow of her throat. "I told him that I would be with you in any way you would accept me."

Her back arched under my body, her eyes turning to the sky above. "All of you," she said throatily, swallowing, and I felt the movement beneath my mouth. I groaned, taking a chance and lightly stroking my tongue along the sensitive skin. Her fingers clenched along my arms, attempting to pull me even closer. It was becoming too much—to resist.

"I told him," I continued, hoping that if I spoke, it would allow me to pull back. "I said that I would never let anything happen to you. And if you would be happier without me, that I would leave."

"Never," she murmured, pulling my face back to hers. "Never, you understand me." The intensity in her gaze astounded me. She appeared so fierce, determined, and the way she looked at me, every ounce of her love for me was in her dark eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, Bella. I always will," I whispered, softly brushing her cheek with the back of my fingers. Her temperature, though still warm from our make out session, had regulated to just a degree higher. It was nowhere near the level when her powers are unleashed.

A thought had me smiling. I made out with Bella Swan.

She shook her head. "Don't do that," she said, her fingers brushing over my lips. "Don't make me wonder what you're thinking."

I laughed and kissed her soft and slow, tempering our mutual desire and continuing for a few minutes. I was surprised how much my venom had receded; the beast within me did not want to hurt her, either.

"I was thinking that I made out with Bella Swan," I snickered, rolling onto my back, laughing and feeling a sense of contentment. "I have never had to use made out in a sentence pertaining to me!"

"Me either!" Her hand slapped over her mouth, but a sweet giggle escaped. In moments, we were both laughing, her gasping for breath and I desperately holding on to the memory of her laughter. "You are such a boy sometimes."

I growled and rolled back over her, earning more of her sweet sounds. "I have never felt like this," I said after another breathtaking kiss. "I guess, in a way, I have finally become more like all the boys in our class."

She grinned and brushed some of my hair from my eyes. "You were never like any of the boys," she said, rolling her eyes. "You might now have thoughts like most boys do, but you're nothing like them."

I hummed and pecked her lips once. "Maybe not," I said firmly. "But they all have the power to do something I never will." She cocked her head to one side, her brow furrowing at the gravely sound of my voice. "One of those boys or another like them can give you children. It pains me to know that I cannot give you that."

"I know we can't have children," she replied after a long bout of silence. A minute, with no inclination of her thoughts, felt like an eternity. "Once I was old enough to do most of the chores around the house, I had become the parent. There were days I had to encourage her, hold her while she cried, and yell at her for spending our rent money." She shook her head after her short confession. "Don't get me wrong, I love my mother so much, but I think I decided a while ago, that motherhood is not for me."

Lifting my hand to cradle her cheek, I could see once again her sincerity in her eyes. "You would make a wonderful mother."

"Maybe I have already been one in another life," she tried, sighing deeply when she saw that her words still did not comfort me. "I know what I want, Edward. That's you, and for there to be a future we can share together. Trust me."

"And what you want is to be with me?"

"From this day forward," she said, smiling when she had seen my sudden confusion.

I kissed her lips when she said nothing, just before the first cloud came over the meadow. We both sighed as it started to sprinkle, quickly strengthening. "We should go," I said. I wiped a drop of rain from her forehead, pressing my lips there and groaning.

"What's wrong?"

"You smell so good in the rain," I replied, earning a throaty laugh. "Come on, before you catch a cold."

She grimaced as the rain fell harder. "We don't want that."

She was right, since we had no idea what would happen with her powers if she were sick with a cold. I lifted her into my arms, making her scream in surprise. "What are you doing?" Her arms quickly clamped around my neck, holding on tightly.

"We need to get you out of the rain," I said firmly. "Ready to see the family?"

She groaned and shook her head, trying to wiggle out from my hold. "Edward! I look like a wet rat!"

I snorted, "Hardly." Her wet hair was already clinging to her neck, head, and face. Teeth clamped on her bottom, enticingly wet lip. "You look delicious."

She laughed and blushed all the way toward my home.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. See you soon. **


	29. In My Room

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight—In My Room**

* * *

The light mood lifted from Bella and she stiffened in my arms when we arrived. The tension began to roll off her in waves as I set her down, taking her hand in mine.

"It will be fine," I said, softly, tipping her chin up so I could see her eyes. "You have faced every member of my family. Why are you nervous now after everything?"

"I told you, it's because of the trouble I caused and will continue to bring to them that makes me nervous." She fidgeted her fingers in her free hand. "They have to blame me for you having to leave soon." Shrugging, she pulled her chin from my light grasp.

"As a newborn, it is to be expected. Whenever anyone of them had gone through the transformation, we had to isolate ourselves. It is what my family does for each other."

She nodded, sighing. "So Alaska, huh?" she said, stalling again. Amused by her tactics, I hummed an acknowledgement but refused to elaborate. She would have to go inside sometime. "You do remember I told you I hate the cold and wet?"

I laughed and had to release her hand. The look on her face was so serious that I could not help it as my laughter continued. The first time she had said those words, I found it rather ironic, since to her, I would feel cold and the fact that she had moved to Forks. Now, as her nose scrunched in mock annoyance, one eye tightly closing, she was simply being cute. I loved it and I was delighted to see it after the past week of mayhem.

"What the hell is that sound?" Emmett asked as he emerged from the front door.

"Edward's giddy amusement," Bella grumbled playfully, sending me a look of disdain. "I'm the entertainment, apparently."

Emmett waggled his eyebrows at her words. She walked right into that one. I stood up straight and glared in his direction. "Do not even think about repeating that!"

My brother laughed internally and gave me a visual of dollar bills and g-strings on _my_ Bella. As if I needed to imagine that! I growled and advanced toward him. Bella watched the byplay between us and stomped her way inside, preventing me from going after Emmett. It was such a shame, too.

"You can't do that! You make me curious to know what you're thinking. Do you want all the lovely plants and flowers to die around here?"

"Let's refrain from making her angry or curious, please," Esme stated firmly, walking from the kitchen. "I would like to keep my indoor and outdoor gardens intact." She wiped her hands on a printed towel and offered one to Bella. "It's nice to meet you under better circumstances than the others."

"Me, too," Bella responded, shaking Esme's hand. "Not sure if it's better circumstances yet. I had trouble a few times today."

Carlisle had surprised Bella enough to startle her for a second. "You did?"

"I'm too curious," she said, taking the hand that Carlisle offered. "And with the ability to hear his thoughts, it's hard _not_ touse them."

"Then you don't have much to worry about," Emmett indicated, closing the front door behind us. "Edward is boring as hell."

Bella cocked her head to one side, watching Emmett carefully. "I'd be stronger at first after my change, right?"

"Yes, my dear," Esme said, smiling. "You will be at almost twice the strength of any of us."

"Think I can take him?" Bella asked me sweetly.

A booming clap resounded in the room as Emmett imagined what that question could lead to. There had not been anyone that could challenge him in a fight since his transformation. Since he was the last that Carlisle had changed, he was the last newborn we had encountered.

"I would pay big money to see that," Jasper said from the very top of the stairs. He quickly made his way down, standing several feet from Bella. I stood protectively beside her, and she sensed and felt my instinctive move. He handed me a large envelope as Esme asked us to follow her into the dining room.

"What's that?" Bella asked, but stopped short in front me. "I can't eat all that!" A third of the twelve-foot table was laden with various Italian dishes, from appetizers to desserts, giving her plenty of choices.

Esme laughed and gently patted Bella's shoulder. "I know, dear," she said softly. "I didn't know exactly what you would like, and I was eager to try recipes. I hope you don't mind. We can freeze some of it for your father."

Bella suddenly stilled, her mouth pursing tightly. "Back to frozen and diner dinners," she whispered gravely.

I looked at Jasper, who smiled sadly at me. _"She's only worried, and a little sad. Don't put too much thought into it, Edward." _

There was no deception in his thought. I only nodded in response and pulled out a chair for Bella. Numbly, she took a seat, but after a few moments, she smiled warmly at Esme. "I have a feeling you wouldn't let him have those often."

Esme's eyes widened slightly, nodding. She knew what Bella was asking of her and she would happily accept until we were all reunited. "I would love to help in any way."

"I don't want to separate you all, but until we know I can be around other people, human and vampire…" Bella hesitated but started again after she shared another look with Esme. "I think it will help him and me if you keep an eye on him."

Esme affectionately hugged her for several moments, before handing Bella a plate.

Jasper stood casually against the adjacent wall, observing quietly. "As we all agreed, Alice and I will join you and Edward in Alaska for that first few months. However, for your initial transformation, Carlisle will be with us to oversee. We'll rotate with Rosalie and Emmett if your newborn state proves difficult."

Absently, Bella loaded the plate with food as she listened intently. "But none of you will join us until we've been 'missing' for a couple of weeks, right?" She took a bite of her food quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

Jasper smiled and lifted an eyebrow. I did not need him to tell me what he was reading from her. She wanted have some alone time with me before she was changed. I was all for it, too. Though I feared about her remaining human for a bit longer, I looked forward to a little more time with her like this, warm and deliciously fragrant.

"To keep up appearances, yes," Jasper replied. "That's what the contents of that envelope are for."

Bella turned her dark eyes toward me. "What are they?"

I cleared my throat, leveling him a glare when I read exactly what he was referring to inside. "We had some new identification set up for you," I said, pulling open the envelope. As she ate, she watched as I spread out new passports, social security cards, credit cards, and driver's licenses on the table.

"Why four sets?"

"Two sets of everything for each of you," Jasper answered, carefully gauging her reaction. She lifted one of hers and read her name.

Her eyes snapped to me, then Jasper. "But it still says 'Isabella Swan'."

"Look at the date of birth," he murmured.

Her eyes searched the document. "This says I'm a year older, eighteen. Is that just in case we get stopped by the highway patrol?"

Emmett snorted. "That will never happen, but it is illegal to take a minor out of state without the permission of the parent or legal guardian."

"It's also needed for other things," Jasper said, raising that annoying eyebrow. I could see in his mind the little building nestled in the Alaskan wilderness that would be perfect.

"That is enough," I said. "Can you please excuse us?"

I knew my family were only doing what they thought was necessary to give me everything I wanted. Internally, they apologized as they exited the room. Oblivious to it, Bella continued to eat and picked up my identification papers.

"Your middle name is Anthony," she said, smiling. "Is Cullen your original last name?"

"It's Masen," I replied. "And I am in fact the second." She grinned at that, whispering "junior" under her breath. "The other set are new names for later."

We had already discussed the new "family" we would pose as once she was able to attend school. Until then, she would use the two identifications on the table. Once her bloodlust was under control, Emmett and Bella would pose as brother and sister, using both Swan and McCarty when needed. Alice and I will remain siblings, as would Rosalie and Jasper.

She nodded and took a long drink of soda. "For after we're married," she said. My mouth dropped open, causing her to roll her eyes. "I did say I remembered some of my dream, didn't I? And marriage is a given, considering the period you're from."

"You want to marry me?"

She sighed softly, dropping her fork on the plate. Turning, she took my hands in hers. "Did you really doubt that I would?" I shrugged and told her about how I thought her views on marriage were based on her parents' relationship.

"I admit, had this happened differently and I didn't have the ability to see into your beautiful mind, I would be wary. Nowadays, the modern thing to do is to see if you tolerate each other by moving in together before getting married." Her brow and nosed scrunched at the thought. "But if you go into that next step, thinking that way, you're almost expecting failure, right? It's not like that for us. We know what we want. You've seen my desire to love you forever and I've seen in your thoughts that you would take me in any capacity. We love each other unconditionally."

"You want to marry me?" I asked stupidly. I tried to ignore the laughter from the others throughout the house. However, it was tougher to do so when Esme was nearly gushing with emotion.

She laughed and shook her head in amusement, taking my face between her wonderfully warm hands. "Yes, I want to be your wife."

Before I could respond, I heard the sound of something moving through the air. I caught it before it could hit me or Bella, finding it was exactly what I needed.

"Thought you'd want that," Emmett said softly, before heading out the door. Startled, Bella pulled back and looked into my outstretched hand. She gasped and bit her thumbnail, suddenly nervous.

"Thanks," I said softly, knowing he would hear me as he left to check the perimeter of the house. "Open it," I said more loudly for Bella's benefit.

She lifted a shaky set of fingers toward the small, black satin box. "When did you get this?"

"It has been in my family for a while," I replied, watching her intently. "It was my mother's engagement ring."

"Oh," she gasped as the box popped open with the simple touch of her fingers. "That's for me?"

I smiled and took her left hand in mine. "It is for me, too." Her eyes snapped up to mine and she glared playfully, as if she knew what I was thinking. There was no indication she was reading my thoughts, but she knew me enough to know that I loved the idea of having something to symbolize what she meant to me on her finger.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, looking back at the ring. With a tentative finger, she traced the oval shape of it, nestled in the black satin.

"I can get you something more modern, if you would like," I murmured, a little worried that it was too old-fashioned for her.

She shook her head, her eyes still on the ring. "I like the idea of having something tied to them being with us now." Her eyes lifted to mine. "As if they approve of me, does that make sense?"

Smiling and sensing that she needed the reassurance, I kissed her lips softly. "They would have loved you, Bella."

Taking the ring from where it had laid for over eighty years, I tossed the box on the table. She watched as I knelt on one knee, tears brimming in her widened eyes.

"Isabella Marie Swan, you have come to mean the world to me. I love you more than anything and anyone in it and I promise to do so forever. Will you do me honor of becoming my wife?"

She smiled, nodding and saying the words that would mark the best day of existence. My usually steady hand shook as I slipped the ring on her finger.

"I'll love you forever, Edward. Yes, I'll be your wife, your mate, and simply yours."

I laughed and stood, pulling her up with me. My arms enclosed around her, holding her close for a moment before spinning us several times. Her laughter was infectious as I did the same. I indulged in another breathtaking kiss, affecting us both, leaving her light-headed and me in need for more.

Well, that was not entirely true. We also affected Jasper, since he had to leave the property because of us. That made my night even better, since it was the first time I had ever sent him those kinds of vibes. Something must have written on my face because Bella commented.

"You look entirely too pleased with yourself," she whispered, touching the smirk on my face. I grinned down at her and asked if she was finished with her dinner. At her nod, I picked her up into my arms again, running up the stairs to my room.

~oOo~

As I waited for Bella to clean up in my bathroom, I searched for some music. Her scent had already filled my room, making my mouth water in another fashion, other than bloodlust. I heard her hum and wipe a towel over her face.

Esme had some clothes laid out for her on my leather couch, since Bella's were still drying downstairs. Swiftly, I changed my still damp clothes and put a record on to play. I heard her still suddenly, no longer humming to herself, as the distinct notes filtered through the speakers embedded in all the walls.

"Claire de Lune," she whispered. After a few seconds, she continued, moving toward the shower. "Edward, is it okay if I take a shower?"

"Of course," I answered.

For several moments, there was little movement from inside. Curious, I walked toward the door, ready to ask if she needed anything. "I shouldn't need a license to operate a shower fixture!"

I chuckled, knocking lightly on the door. "Did you need a hand?"

I heard her grumble as she walked toward the bathroom door, slowly opening it. Her dark eyes met mine, a scowl on her lips. "Is everything in this house state of the art?"

I kept my face blank as I answered. "Not everything, some of it is quite ancient."

She laughed, rolling her eyes and pulling me inside. "I just wanted a quick shower, my hair smells funny."

"I think it smells wonderful," I said softly, stepping into the large glass shower enclosure. "However, I may be biased."

She blushed and pointedly said, "Will you stop saying things that make me blush? It just makes it harder for you to be around me."

I turned from controls to look at her. "Is that what you think?"

"I know it. I've heard it in your head."

I sighed and pulled her in my arms; she was in nothing but her under garments and a soft white towel. I did not let that deter me.

"I admit that your responses do affect me," I murmured, running my hand down her back. "When I first encountered you in class, it was excruciating to capture the scent of the warm blood rushing to your cheeks." I brushed one with the back of a few fingers. Her skin was so soft. "It took considerable will to stay away, but with every passing day, the longer I was in your presence, the easier it became. It still affects me as much as it had before, but not in only that way." I shook my head and tried to find the words to explain.

"Now, when it hits me, I know that you are alive and thriving. It actually calms me, except when you look at me like that," I said, smiling down at her. Her eyes were wide and beautiful, her soft, pink mouth parted and inviting, and her pulse quickened at her throat. My thumb brushed the spot, feeling it race beneath my touch. "When you look at me like this, I feel warm all over."

She gasped softly, rising to the tips of her toes to kiss me. With a shift my arms, I had her in my hold, and I stepped into the shower. The water cascaded down over us, but we both refused to stop. Her towel fell to the floor with a gentle tug from her. My sweater was next, landing with a wet splat behind us. She moaned, her fingers exploring my chest and abdomen.

This shower was so different from the one we had when we returned from Port Angeles. I felt guilty that night for wanting her but this time, it felt wonderful and natural. My pants and shoes discarded just as quickly, leaving me in nothing but a pair of boxers. Her eyes remained on mine, but I broke the spell to look at her fully.

Her bra and panties were simple white cotton, contrasting against her pale, berries and cream skin. "You are so beautiful."

I looked into her eyes again; she almost seemed hesitant and shy. She was stronger than I was, but eventually, she gave in to her desire to see all of me.

"Oh," she gasped, a tentative hand raised to touch me again. "You are so pretty."

I laughed and cradled her face. "Thanks, I think." She smiled shyly at me and encircled her arms around my waist, her chest meeting mine. I groaned and kissed her again. Our hands explored each other, slowly. The curve of her hip was perfect, my hand spanning her abdomen easily. My thumb brushed her navel, earning a soft giggle. I did it again.

Her hands moved from my sides to my back, pulling her that much closer. I groaned as one fingernail accidently scraped me. I kissed her again, agonizing over if I should let her inside my mouth. The venom was minimal, and I wanted desperately to taste her in such a way.

As if she read my thoughts again, her tongue slipped along my bottom lip. Our eyes opened at the illicit touch, both questioning. I simply replied with a tightening of my fingers and by parting my lips. Her breath was sweet as she shared another part of her with me. Her moan was soft and musical, coming from deep within her. I felt the vibrations along her stomach, as I pushed for more.

"Stay away from my teeth," I whispered hoarsely, taking over. Slipping inside her mouth was easy, with a simple touch of my tongue at the corner of her mouth. She opened for me, allowing me to taste her fully. I felt my eyes roll back and close, but I realized I had to keep my hands moving or risk hurting her. If they remained in one place, I would put too much strength in my hold.

My hands moved from her hips, sliding along her sides, feeling the silky soft texture beneath my palms. When my thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts, she pulled back with a gasp. Her dark gaze met mine, and reflected within them, I could see a different side of me. The man she loved.

One of my hands rose to trace her collarbone, our eyes falling to watch the path of my fingers. Her bra straps would snap with a simple tug, but I moved away from the temptation. Instead, I followed the hem of it along her skin, until my fingers brushed the insides of her breasts at the center.

Our breaths were harsh, our chests rising and falling, as her skin flushed, and mine warmed under the water that continued to rain down on us. Her eyes rose to mine again, a small smile on her lovely face.

"I love you," she said softly.

I whispered it, too, and as my mouth touched hers again, I heard everything in her mind. Including what she thought about my body, the feel of my lips and skin on hers and the fear that she would never be enough.

I pulled back and stared down at her. "I did not feel a difference in your body temperature."

"Maybe my power is stabilizing," she offered questionably.

We both knew that there was little chance of that, but maybe her control was better. That control seemed fleeting and gone when she became distracted. I realized something else. If I had managed to read all that from her mind for those few precious seconds, then she knew what I needed to talk to her about when we returned to her home. Talk to her about leaving sooner.

Her bottom lip trembled as she nodded. "Please give me a day or two more," she whispered, swallowing deeply. "I can't make it obvious, because Charlie would know. Then I'd like to see my mother and then we can go to Alaska."

I kissed her again. I was unable to voice my gratitude and love when I could see the adoration, honesty, and love she had in her eyes for me.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm ready to start our forever."

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. See you soon. **


	30. Dry Her Eyes

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine—Dry Her Eyes**

* * *

As we sped toward Bella's house in my car, I sent a message to Alice. I had been trying for hours to show her our decision to marry as soon as possible and she had not responded. It was so unlike her. The prospect of a wedding should have sent her into a tailspin.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked from the passenger seat.

"Alice has not responded to our engagement."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sure she'll be happy for us, but you seemed surprised that she hasn't called you."

"I am," I said, turning down her street and parking seconds later. "But you have not known Alice long enough to realize that our engagement would have had her calling instantly after you said yes."

"Maybe she didn't see it."

"And that is concerning," I whispered.

"You're getting married!" Alice hissed in shock from within the forest where she kept watch. I knew Jasper had been following us, running along the car to take over watch. I heard him whisper to Alice, and knew there was more to her tone. She was scared now, because she could no longer see my future.

I felt Bella's warm fingers touch my cheek, and when I returned my gaze to her, she looked confused again. I cursed internally, knowing that leaving her with more questions would have her powers manifesting. That would be dangerous. Earlier in my room, she showed a control she never had before, but that meant little when there was still a possibility of them turning against her.

"Alice is both scared and excited about our announcement."

"So she did see it," she said.

"No, Jasper was running behind us and was going through possible ways for everyone to be there when we get married."

"Oh." She sighed and looked up at her house. "This feels so surreal."

"You do not have to do this." It hurt to say it but she needed to know I would stand by her no matter what.

"Yes, I do," she stated so fiercely that when I met her eyes, I could see anger within them. "We're not having that conversation again. You are what I want." I nodded, unable to resist smiling a bit. Her words were comforting and yet still instilled me with fear and regret. It would always be that way; I knew that and would have to live with it.

I held her hand in mine and knew I could live with this choice. She was with me now and would forever be mine.

~oOo~

"What are your plans tomorrow?" Charlie asked us as Bella moved around the kitchen, reheating dinner for him.

"School," she said wistfully. "I think the ring would speak for itself." Grumbling under her breath as she set a plate on the table, she added, "I'm not looking forward to that. But it will help feed the story when we 'run away' together."

The pain etched on Charlie's face when she turned to get him a drink from the refrigerator. It only lasted a second, gone by the next. I offered him a small smile and looked away from his dark gaze.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked her. There was both curiosity and concern in his tone. She turned to face him, her brow furrowed with the same concern. "I need to know that you're okay. The longer you stay like this," his hand waved over her, "the more you'll likely keel over."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Dad."

"I'm only stating my opinion."

"And it's duly noted," she quipped.

I looked down at the table, trying to keep from smiling again. They were so much alike. The tension of their pending separation had left them unable to cope with it. However, they seemed to have a method to avoid it. They pushed each other's buttons without inflicting true pain. It was an interesting dynamic to watch unfold.

Bella took a seat beside me, sighing deeply. "Are you okay with not being at the wedding?" Charlie shrugged and paid special attention to his dinner, unable to meet her eyes. She shared a look with me and bit her lip nervously.

"There is no way we can get him there," I said to them both. We had already talked about the little church in Alaska we would likely marry in before we climbed the mountains to the cabin we would stay during her transitional year after her change. "Not without someone in town finding out."

Gruffly, Charlie added, "He's right, Bella."

"I know," she whispered.

"I have an idea," Alice said from the kitchen entrance. "I can have everything taken care of by tomorrow afternoon."

"What are you talking about?" Charlie asked, his fork frozen mid-flight. He dropped it and crossed his arms in front of his chest, pushing away from the table as he waited for her answer.

"We can have like a mock wedding," she suggested. "It'll be just us and the family. We can record it and give it to your mom, Bella."

"Every father should have the right to give his daughter away," Charlie whispered hoarsely. "But it's one more day that she shouldn't be here and remain human."

Bella swallowed. "I want you to give me away."

His eyes lifted to look at her. "I want that, too." Tears formed in her eyes, pooling at each corner until they fell one by one. "It's not fair to your mother, Bella. But I won't deny either of us of the experience."

She smiled and walked over to him, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek, and making her father blush several shades redder than usual.

"Where will we do it?" Bella asked, sitting down beside me again.

"We can do it at our house, in the garden," Alice offered. "It will be something very simple and like I said just us."

There was nothing simple in Alice's mind and she loved the idea that she would be able to do this twice for us.

"You still have to lay the groundwork, Charlie," I said to him. His eyes met mine and he nodded. "By tomorrow afternoon, most of the town will have heard about our engagement. You have to make it sound that you disapprove."

"That will make the story more believable," Alice said, nodding. "If you're okay with them being engaged, then why run away and elope?"

"I have a feeling that if we had the time to wait, that you'd give me a reason," Bella said with mock cheer. Alice quirked an eyebrow and tipped her chin up as if she had no idea what Bella was referring to.

"She is never subtle," I said and laughed when Alice mentally and rudely gave me the finger. "She probably has a legion of dresses for you to try on when we get home from school tomorrow."

Bella grumbled and shook her head. "If your power still worked on me then you'd know which one I would like."

Alice huffed. "That's half the fun, though!"

"Remember, it's pretending this time around," Bella said softly. Her father smiled sadly at her, patting her hand.

"Technicality," Alice dismissed with a wave. "There's so much to do! Jasper is taking over my watch and Esme and I are going shopping."

"It's late!" Bella hissed. "Where are you going shopping at this hour?"

Alice smiled brightly. "When you have the kind of money we're talking about, you'd be surprised how many doors open." Having said that, she was gone.

Bella fell back on her chair and glared at me. "You could've warned me."

"You could have told her no," I said. "Though I have to admit, I love the idea of doing this for both you and Charlie."

"Thank you," the man said from across the table. "Thank you, for doing this for me and Bella." Our eyes turned toward Bella, who was smiling softly at each of us. "And thank you for putting that smile on her face."

She blushed under our gazes and laughed it off. We talked a little about our plan to help with our cover story and school. Charlie asked questions about it, wondering internally if tomorrow would be the day. After he finished, Bella rose to her feet and gathered his dirty dishes.

"We should probably start our homework," she said to me.

I nodded and helped her with cleaning up as Charlie said he would go watch a game. Bella remained silent as she absently washed her father's plate and handed it to me in the same manner. Once we were done, I pulled her into my arms and held her close.

There was no need for words or for me to read her thoughts to know that leaving him would hurt her deeply. "He will get through this by knowing that you are safe," I murmured, kissing the top of her head.

"I know." Her arms squeezed me as tight as she could. "He loves me enough to let me go."

"Yes, he does."

For about an hour, we worked on homework and I left with the pretense that I was leaving for the night. It was more for their neighbor's benefit than for Charlie's, who knew I would return to stay in Bella's room. The night before, I had left the door open so he would not be concerned and he could check on his daughter. He had a few times, and I feigned sleep since I was not sure how he would react to the fact that I have not slept since my transformation.

The night before it was torture in a different way than what I expected it to be with her now. Before, she would whimper and cry out because of her experience in that alley. We shared so much since then, so I was in for a long night.

I left the car in the driveway of my home and ran back toward Bella's house with Emmett and Carlisle. They were simply bored at home since Esme was away with Alice and Rosalie was waiting for someone to take her place so she could hunt.

We reached the forest edge where Jasper and Rosalie waited. My eyebrow arched at her thoughts. "Congratulations," she murmured, tossing a look over her shoulder toward the house. "I'm sorry about my comment earlier. I can see she loves you."

"She does." She nodded and left with Emmett to hunt for the evening.

"The emotions in this family are overwhelming," Jasper grunted. "I haven't been this influenced by y'all feeling so much in a long time." The night ahead would prove to be hard for the both of us. "You are not helping," he growled, punching my arm and throwing his arm over my shoulders. "How are you really doing with all this?" His hand rested on my chest long enough for me to understand.

I shrugged him off and sighed. "It's exhilarating, alarming, and wonderful, all at the same time."

Carlisle gripped my shoulder and smiled. "Now you know what we feel all the time."

I nodded and shook my head. "For a long time, I wanted what you all had. I cannot believe that I had almost walked away from this feeling. I was a fool to believe I could."

"You love her," Jasper said. "You thought it would be for the best. Now you're doing what feels right. Go with it."

I looked at the dimly window of Bella's room, a beacon that she was there waiting for me. Without another word, I sprinted toward the back door, quietly slipping inside the house. I checked in on Charlie to find that he had fallen asleep on his recliner.

I debated with myself if I should wake him. I checked the front door and turned off everything downstairs, locking up. Decision made, I shook Charlie gently on his shoulder. He startled awake, groggily shoving my hand away.

"Some protector I am," he grumbled.

"You have not been sleeping well, sir," I offered.

He nodded, rose to his feet, and asked, "Is she asleep?"

I listened for her heartbeat and the sound of her breaths. "Yes," I replied.

He smiled and shook his head, but it fell after a moment. "Did you convince her?"

I simply nodded, not giving him more information. He said he did not want to know when we would leave, only that it was sooner rather than later. He cleared his throat and made his way to the stairs.

"Can you thank your mother for the food?"

"You can yourself tomorrow, sir."

His lips thinned, but he said nothing further. There was no need to, his inner ramblings spoke for him. He knew what I knew; soon enough, he would see his daughter for that last time, as she was now— human, warm, and beautiful.

I watched as he ascended the stairs. Grief weighed down his shoulders with every step he took. His breaths were pained and choking him. By the time he reached his bedroom door, the tears had started to fall.

Filled with a deep sadness for him and the situation in general, I entered Bella's room seconds later. For several minutes, I sat in the corner of the room, in the rocking chair, watching her sleep. She whispered my name, calling out for me. As I stood, her eyes slowly opened to find me beside her bed. Her hand reached out for me, as I climbed under the covers with her, my shoes falling beside hers at the foot of the bed. She sighed as she touched my face with her delicate, warm fingers.

"I love you," she whispered. Tracing the circles under my eyes, she smiled up at me. "Come here."

I moved as close as I dared, her body heat felt perfect, even through my shirt and hers. "Bella," I said softly as I climbed over her, my knee slipping between her parted thighs. I did not press my body against hers, though I wanted to desperately.

"Soon everyone will know we're getting married," she said, laughing then scrunching her nose in distaste. "By lunch tomorrow at school, I'll be pregnant and a gold digger."

I chuckled and delicately kissed her shoulder. She was dressed in a simple cotton tank top and cut off sweats. As I had realized earlier, her temperature had regulated to above normal to a balmy ninety-nine point nine degrees.

"And I will be the lucky man who gets to have you," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You love that idea way too much," she said, cocking a brow.

"I will not deny that. In some ways, tomorrow will be a grand day at school." In others, not so much, but she was prepared for it.

"Grand," she teased, gently tugging on my hair. She wanted me closer. I could not deny her the same want I had. Our kiss was sweet, mesmerizing, and perfect. It also left me so mindless that when my hips instinctually met hers, I was completely unaware of the action for a fraction of the second. I was terrified that I hurt her when she had to pull away her mouth from mine to cry out hotly against my ear.

"Bella?"

"Again," she gasped.

The first time I had done it, I did not allow myself to feel pleasure from the touch. I was more concerned for her well-being than my body's responses. Tentatively, I did as she asked and hissed at the contact of her warmth against my hips.

It was mind-numbingly wonderful and desperation for more hit me hard. My head fell softly against hers, our breath mingled together as I pulled back, still unsure if we should continue. I cursed my mind because the guilt I felt earlier over Charlie intruded.

"Not yet, Bella," I murmured and stilled her hips that tried to seek mine again, kissing her to soften the sting of my rejection. "Charlie is very upset in his room. It does not feel right." She stilled beneath me, and then used her hands on my chest to push me away.

"I'll be back." I watched as she crawled out of bed and slipped into a pair of leggings. She wanted to see for herself, deeply concerned for her father.

I sat back and waited, listening at the soft footfalls as she tipped-toed to his room. At the door, she paused, as if listening there. She entered after a brief pause. A short gasp had her moving quickly toward him.

"Oh Daddy," she murmured as he grunted in surprise. I watched from Charlie's eyes as she sat down beside him, his vision blurred with tears. "You will see me again, I promise. I will find a way."

He nodded, patting her hand as she ran it soothingly over his jaw. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice raspy and hoarse. "Don't you worry about me."

Sadly, with tears in her eyes, she shook her head. "That's not possible."

He swallowed deeply, cupping her cheek and kissing the middle of her forehead. "I know."

From outside, I heard Carlisle and Jasper quietly murmur that Charlie would miss many things when she was gone. They hardly made me feel better. I would find a way for Charlie to see her walk down the aisle, graduate from school and just be happy.

Somehow, he would see it all happen.

~oOo~

The whispered words bombarded us from all sides as Bella and I walked toward the cafeteria with her hand in mine.

"_Look at the size of that ring."_

"_Why him?"_

"_What the hell does she have that I don't? I'm so much prettier."_

"_I can't believe this."_

"_Maybe its fake and only a promise ring."_

"_She's got to be pregnant, why else would he marry her? You never know, maybe after he'd leave her because she stays fat."_

I sent Lauren a glare from across the hall and she reared back, scared that I had overheard her, Jessica and Eric talking. Bella elbowed me in the stomach, rolling her eyes before leading me inside the cafeteria.

"We knew this would happen," she said, picking up a tray for her lunch. "You can't glare at everyone."

"I could," I grumbled, listening in on Michael and Tyler's discussion. "Though I admit, I enjoy smiling smugly at Newton."

She snorted and allowed me to take her tray from her. "I'm surprised Alice isn't here enjoying this."

"She's too busy with preparations at home," I said, guiding her toward the table my family usually occupied. No one sat there now, since they all remained at home. "And she had everyone volunteer this morning."

She laughed again. "For some reason, I find that hard to believe."

"What? You mean that the others would help?" I asked, offering her the slice of pizza.

"Not that really," she said thoughtfully. "More like she didn't bother to ask and simply started giving them orders."

I sighed and nodded, because it was what actually happened when I arrived earlier to change my clothes. "She's our little dictator."

Bella laughed but spat out her food in disgust. "It tasted like sand." I inspected it carefully and saw no reason for her to say that. She pushed it away and drank a bottle of lemonade in a few swallows. With the higher body temperature, her body was still adjusting to it. "I'm still thirsty."

Something was wrong. Before I could comment on it, I heard a distinct voice filter through the chaotic thoughts of Forks High.

"It's time, bring her home immediately after," Carlisle said from outside where he stood watch.

At that moment, Bella looked up as Charlie entered the cafeteria. A hush fell over every person, some watching us, the rest on her father. It appeared that students of Forks High were in for lunch and show.

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. See you soon. **


	31. And the Oscar Goes To

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty—And the Oscar Goes To**

* * *

Bella and I shared a look of shock for our audience's benefit, but the cock of her eyebrow indicated she was ready. I could see her take a deep breath, closing her eyes once before meeting her father's penetrating gaze.

"I hope he remembers it's all an act," she whispered to me under her breath. I squeezed her hand beneath the table before I rose to my feet to face Charlie.

"Sir," I said, swallowing as if nervous.

"Don't you 'sir' me," he growled, his face blotching red and his eyes darting from side to side. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable.

"Dad," Bella gasped as she leaned against my arm. "What are you doing here?"

Charlie would not meet her eyes, raising a finger and pointing at me. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out that you asked her to marry you?"

I shook my head, looking over my shoulder toward one of the exits. It was hard to ignore the snickers and the excited faces of the students, much less their thoughts. Most were in favor of their Chief of Police manhandling me, the rest were hoping that Bella would be moving back to where she came from. There was only a few that seemed deeply concerned for all parties involved.

"Dad, not here!" Bella hissed. "We'll talk about this when I get home after school."

"You're coming home right now, young lady." His eyes finally fell on Bella, his jaw clenching tightly for a moment when he grabbed her hand with her new engagement ring. "What are you thinking? You're only seventeen!"

"Dad," she tried, but he only shook his head as if what she said did not matter. "I love him and he loves me." She pulled her hand back to lay it on my arm. "We're not going to get married until after we graduate."

"The hell you are," he grunted, taking a hold of her arm. Every instinct, even though I knew it was only a ploy, screamed for me to protect her. It took an incredible amount of control for me to remain where I stood as he pulled her away from me. "You're never seeing him again!"

They gave me a look, sensing that I was having some kind of trouble. It was a brief pause to pull myself together before the little charade continued. Bella viciously ripped her arm from her father's grip. Flustered, Charlie started to look around. It was obvious that being the center of attention did not sit well with him. That and the fact that he feared he would look like a bad parent.

His hand loosened around Bella's arm, his features softening. "I just want what's best for you, Bella. Can't you see that? I don't want what happened to me to happen to you."

There was truth in those words, worry that what Bella and I had was not as permanent as I made it out to be. However, one of conversations about my kind's nature to remain with our mate indefinitely replayed in his thoughts.

"Bella," I whispered, looking at down, slipping my hands into my pockets and into the role of remorseful boyfriend. "Go home with him. Maybe if you talk to him about us…"

"Nothing will change my mind," Charlie stated firmly. "You're both too young to get married. It's not going to happen while she's living under my roof."

That brought my back up, causing my head to snap up to meet his eyes. As we discussed, I put a little anger and arrogance in my tone.

"You can't keep us apart," I said loudly. "I will see her again."

"We'll see," he said, towing Bella behind him. Her heartbroken look on her face seemed all too real, as if she feared I would not follow through on my promise.

"I will see you again, Bella!" I called out and she nodded, appearing relieved for the confirmation.

Charlie did not allow her to say anything and pulled her along. The moment the door closed, almost all eyes turned to me. I kicked in my chair and Bella's, lifting her tray and throwing it away quickly. I moved through the cafeteria at what the students would perceive as "normal" high speed.

I did not meet anyone's eyes. My hands were deep in my pocket until I reached the doors. I carefully slammed them open, keeping my jaw tightly shut when all I wanted to do was shout at all those that internally spewed vitriol toward Bella and me.

It was moments like those that made me wonder who the monster really was. The only difference was that most of the school population were mostly talk and had little power to back up their fantasies and troubling thoughts. However, I had seen with my own eyes and read the minds of humans capable to carrying out those same thoughts. I shook my head in disgust, for allowing my mind to wander toward the usual debate about human nature.

I would have to insist that when Bella was ready to attend school after her transformation that we would wait for at least a decade or two. I had enough of the inner ramblings of teenagers.

As I made my way toward the parking lot, I lifted my gaze to meet Bella's in the front seat of her father's police cruiser. Some of the school staff seemed to have tried to talk to him, but he had ignored them. His brakes protested as he sped away from the parking lot, sending me a glare.

That look prompted those who stood watch to turn toward me. "Mr. Cullen," Mr. Greene, the school principal said as I approached the parking lot. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I'm leaving," I said stiffly.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that to happen," he stated, clearing his throat when my eyes snapped up to look at him. "Despite the situation, you must remain in school."

"I'm leaving," I said again, adding bitterness to my voice.

"No, you are not."

Before I could offer a retort, I watched Carlisle step out of his car fluidly seconds after he pulled into a parking space. "Mr. Greene. There's been a family emergency and I'm here to pick up Edward."

Mr. Greene startled, taking several seconds to compose himself to face Carlisle. "It seems awfully convenient after the scene he and another student made just minutes ago."

Carlisle's eyes narrowed, advancing a step toward the man before him. "What scene?"

Of course, it could not only be Charlie to disapprove of our engagement. Clearly uncomfortable, Mr. Greene offered to talk in his office, but Carlisle turned him down flat.

"We must leave immediately. Come, Edward."

We shared a look and his thoughts struck me. "_I have a theory, and if I am right, we must get to her immediately." _I turned from Mr. Greene without a word and walked toward my car, forcing myself to keep a human pace when I would have run.

"Mr. Cullen," Mr. Greene said, stopping Carlisle from following me.

"Go ahead, Edward," he said, dismissing me with a wave. "Your mother is waiting for you at home."

As I drove away, I could hear Mr. Greene telling Carlisle of the incident with Charlie in the cafeteria. With carefully practiced ease, Carlisle told the principal his opinion on the matter of his son's engagement. He wholeheartedly agreed with Charlie, that we were too young to marry.

It had to appear that my family did not assist me in running away with Bella. Or else they would all have to pack up and leave, too.

I sped toward Bella's house, eager to hold her, afraid that we would have to speed things up, if she had any chance of survival. Hating the fact that Carlisle had hidden his thoughts from me, I ignored all traffic laws, including two stop signs to reach her house faster.

When I pulled up to the driveway, Charlie stumbled out onto the porch, calling for me. "Something is wrong with her. She won't stop drinking water or any liquid. I thought you weren't changing her until you reached Alaska."

The hurt and accusation was clear in his eyes and voice. I shook my head and made my way inside. "I assure you, I have not done anything to start the transformation. And if I had, you would know it." For she would be screaming in pain and horror, I reminded myself.

I walked past him and found Bella in the kitchen. "Bella?"

"Why am I so thirsty?" she choked on the words, turning back to the tap water from the kitchen faucet to sip directly from the flow. I slipped my arms around her, kissing her temple. She was burning up. There was no way she had consumed enough venom when we kissed the night before to start the change.

Carlisle bounded quietly into the house a minute later, startling Charlie as he appeared seemingly out of thin air. "Food is no longer enough, I fear. Her body is craving the energy her shield takes from her environment."

"Get me out of here," she gasped, as she turned I my arms. "I'm trying to fight it, but I can't anymore." Her eyes turned toward her father and then snapped to mine, begging me silently to understand.

She did not want to hurt him or anyone else. Suddenly, her eyes started to bleed as tiny blood vessels started to pop within them. Paralyzed with fear that it might be too late, it took me a few seconds for anything to penetrate it.

"Fuck!" Charlie roared, pulling on my arm. "Go! God damn it, move! Get her to where she can get energy without hurting people."

I swept her into my arms and ran out the back door, whispering to her to hold on repeatedly. I ran to the one place I knew that would provide Bella with energy and was far enough from humans. The clearing would be perfect. It was what my family and I used to play baseball during storms. Once we reached a safe distance from any humans, I held her tighter. "Let go, Bella!"

I roared as I fell to my knees from the brunt of the force her shield unleashed. If I had not been holding her, I was positive that the force would be enough to knock me unconscious. Her head fell back as she screamed and shuddered in my arms. A drop of blood slipped along her bottom lash line until it fell from the corner of her eye. I cupped her head with one hand and sipped the liquid from her skin.

It was warmth. It was fire. It was life and death in that single drop. In it was a cultivation of everything she had been through and everything she would endure. It held past, present, and our future. Every breath she had taken, every emotion she had ever felt and every memory was in that drop. I shared a lifetime with her, watched her grow and stumble through the years. She never allowed her falls, scrapes and bruises to make her feel weak, they made her stronger.

"Bella," I gasped. The very first memory of me played within my mind, and the second and the third and all those after. I continued to sip the blood mixed with tears as they fell, sharing, laughing, and desperately wishing I could cry along with her. She had been so scared of me that first day as I glared at her. Along with that fear, was a dive in her self-esteem that combined with the pain that my lies and pushing her away, would have brought me to my knees had I not already been.

It was with her dreams of our future that I pulled back enough to see her. Her eyes began to clear, but her gaze remained blank as she continued to pull energy toward her. No, that was not right. Toward _us. _Her shield had automatically cocooned me with her, instead of seeping me of my energy, she was feeding me. My eyes swept over her, searching for any indications of pain. There was none, but for the erratic rush of her blood and heartbeat. I heard several figures approaching us cautiously.

"Not yet," I hissed. Careful to keep contact with her, I shifted so that she could sit comfortably in my lap. Her head fell against the crook of my neck, her breath hot against my skin. I felt the surge of her shield close in around us more as it slowly stopped seeking more power.

I felt my own body heat had risen several degrees, my muscles tense with the need to expel excess energy. The edges of her defenses started to mold around us, our bodies shaking, and when it finally hit us, I barely managed to hold us down, rolling over her quickly.

For a couple of minutes, neither of us moved but to breathe. Panting and gaining as much control as possible in those private moments. Beneath me, she trembled. Above her, I remained utterly still, and I scarcely believed what had just occurred. Through her blood, I shared every profound moment of her life.

The tiny tips of her fingers brushed at my forehead, my cheeks, and the lids of my eyes. "Edward," she breathed.

Voices intruded on my thoughts; in fact, there were many more than I had originally thought. There was Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, and three wolves that were on patrol when I had run out of Charlie's house with Bella. Curious, they had followed to see what was happening.

And three others.

"How much time until they reach us?" I asked aloud as I lifted Bella to feet quickly.

"They felt the wave of her shield as they headed to Seattle. They will be here in a few minutes."

I nodded and gathered Bella in my arms. However, she stepped back, her eyes wide and horrified. All around us, there had once been a vast field of green and small wildflowers, surrounded by lush forest. Now, it was barren and lifeless. Not a single living thing remained within the center of her shield. Not even bacteria and such in the ground beneath us.

She gasped and shook her head violently.

"Bella," I whispered, taking her hand in mine. "We have to go."

"We'll distract them," Jasper said and headed off with Alice to intercept the three nomadic vampires passing though our region. Carlisle hurriedly explained the situation with the three wolves that quickly bounded in the same direction as my siblings.

Carlisle ran beside me, his mind blessedly silent.

"Is someone watching Charlie?" Bella asked, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

"Yes, love," I replied softly in her ear. "Esme and Rosalie are with him at the house." Relaying the images, I had seen in Alice's head before she had left. Bella only nodded in response, keeping herself from meeting my eyes.

When we reached my home, Esme met us at that patio entrance, concern etched in her grim smile. We followed her inside and Charlie slowly walked into the living room but stood back as Carlisle started to examine Bella.

"How to you feel, Bella?"

"My body feels great," she said softly. Shyly, she looked down at her fingers, unable to handle everyone watching her carefully.

"Do you still have the same thirst you had from earlier?"

She shook her head and averted her eyes from Carlisle. "I think I'll be fine for a while."

"What happened?" Charlie finally asked, walking further into the room.

"I killed everything," she whispered. "Two small herds of deer, fourteen rabbits, twenty-eight birds, four-hundred thousand, eight hundred forty-three insects. Don't get me started on the trees."

My eyebrows shot up and I looked at Carlisle. "How?"

"It's only natural that her senses would be heightening because of her ability."

"I was aware of every living thing for almost a mile," she whispered, watching her hands on her lap. "But I read all that from Edward's mind. How large of an area was it?"

"Almost a square mile, Bella," Carlisle supplied with a sigh. "I was afraid of this when I asked for you to stop using your powers."

Gruffly, Charlie asked, "What do you mean?"

"She basically overloaded," he said, patting Bella's hands and rising to his feet. "Not using her powers very much short-circuited because they started to build up."

"In other words," Charlie started, waving a hand toward Bella. "This is probably only temporary."

"If she can find balance on using her powers, but not too much of it to deplete her body of energy, then she should be fine until they're ready for her transformation."

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, nodding as if all was right with his world. Except that it was not fine, because Carlisle was lying. He still believed that her body would need nutrients that eating food brought her. Eventually, her body could simply fail with the constant struggle to find a balance.

"Where did Alice and Jasper go?" Bella asked, suddenly concerned.

"They went to intercept three vampires that felt a brush of your shield," I answered, alerting Esme, Rosalie, and Charlie.

Bella's eyes wildly moved from side to side, her brow furrowing. I cradled her face in my hands and tried to determine what was happening.

"What is it?" Charlie and Carlisle asked in unison.

"When her mind gathers too much information, especially the thoughts of our kind," I started to explain.

When Charlie grunted, not understanding, it was Carlisle that answered him. "Our minds are capable of about ten times of a human's capabilities." Charlie pursed his lips, feeling slightly bitter about the explanation.

"For that reason," I stated, interrupting Charlie's retort. "It takes a little time for her to read all of it."

"Do you see?" she asked me.

I growled and nodded, rising to my feet. "One of the vampires, male, recognized a scent."

"Who's?" Rosalie asked, already dialing Emmett who had gone to find boxes for my imminent move.

"Alice's," I growled.

A stony look came over her as she asked, "Is he a threat?"

"Yes."

There was no need for words as my family ran out the back door. "What the hell was that?" Charlie asked, confused and concerned.

"That was their way of communicating," Bella whispered. "Annoying, isn't it?" I turned back to her and held my hand out. She placed hers in mine without question. "Will they be all right?" she asked.

"They will be."

"Aren't you going to join them?"

I shook my head. "No. You would be left defenseless if Jacob returned or if one of those nomads came here."

"Jacob isn't anywhere near the house," Bella said, her brow creasing. "If you need to go, we'll be okay."

"I agree, son," Charlie added.

"No." I led them both toward the kitchen. "Anyone hungry?"

Behind me, Charlie grumbled, "Is he always so pleasant?"

Through her father's eyes, I could see her roll hers as she said, "He's always this delightful."


	32. Moving Foward

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-One—Moving Forward**

* * *

Bella sipped at a cup of hot chocolate while Charlie nursed a cup of coffee in the kitchen. "Not sure how I feel about you having all this food for looks," Charlie grumbled, watching as I continued to take several items out to make them something to eat until my family returned.

"We have to keep up appearances," I stated as I removed a butter knife from a drawer. "Esme shops at the local grocery store for the essentials that are normally in every household." I shook the bag of freshly ground coffee to show an example. "Whatever we spend on those items, we donate about ten times that to several charities to feed the hungry, both locally and worldwide. It never sat well with us to waste the food we buy. We do what we can to make up for that."

Charlie nodded but showed very little emotion, but his thoughts spoke for him. He was deeply impressed how human we seemed in ways _actual _humans were not. Bella smiled up at me, beaming at our generosity. I shook my head, feeling uncomfortable with the image that our family portrayed in their eyes.

"We do not want to be monsters," I stated, looking over my shoulder at them. "However, if you ever come across others like us, I guarantee you would not walk away from the encounter."

"You trying to scare me, boy?" Charlie hissed, placing his cup on the counter before him. "I understand that you and your family are unique—"

"We know of only five others like us. There may be more, but we have yet to encounter any others."

That stopped Charlie from continuing. "I see."

"And they're the same vampires we'd meet in Alaska?" Bella asked. I could tell she was trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. She cocked an eyebrow, and I could see the flash of anger in her eyes. She clearly wanted to know what I was doing by telling Charlie more about the true nature of my kind. I felt a touch of guilt since I had tried to push her away before with the same argument.

As the saying goes, 'old habits die hard.'

"You will not meet them until we are sure that you are safe," I answered, turning back to making them some sandwiches. I had not had the chance to discuss my extended family with Bella, especially about one of the members, yet. It did not seem a good subject to bring up with Charlie listening; the less he knew, the better.

"That's understandable," she said, joining me at the counter where I worked. "Can I help?"

"I can handle a sandwich, Bella."

She gave me a small wary smile and placed a hand over mine. "If that was the case, the bread you're holding wouldn't look like crumbs."

I swallowed and exhaled sharply, looking down that mess I had made. Our conversation had bothered me more than I realized.

"Sorry," I said, allowing her to work on their food. I leaned back against the counter and watched her.

"Don't be," she said softly. "You're concerned about your family, and your usual attitude about what you are, has always been hard for you to talk about."

I brushed some of her hair behind her ear and smiled. "You realized that?"

She rolled her eyes. "You wanted me and my dad to know that being like you isn't going to be a picnic and that it was nothing to be glorified. I understand what you were trying to do."

"Doesn't take a genius, Edward," Charlie said, pulling out a barstool to take a seat. "Or mind that can think a million different things at the same time to figure that out." He was still sore about the explanation Carlisle had made earlier. "Not sure if you noticed, but it was my girl that alerted you and your family about the trouble."

Bella sent him a scathing look over her shoulder, causing Charlie to give her a look of innocence. "He was too busy worried about me," she hissed. "Will you behave?"

Charlie's humble expression morphed to a one of malevolence. "What? It's a father's right to give his daughter's boyfriend a hard time." He wiggled his eyebrows, eliciting an eye roll from Bella. "I'm making up for the many dates he would've taken you on and the missed curfews. Let's not forget hickeys." He shuddered at the thought.

Bella's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Stop talking!" she nearly screeched, waving her hands as she could expel the words from the air.

Though Charlie's half-smile matched his tone, the thoughts behind them were contradictory. He ached inside, a hollowness that had me turning away from him. I felt selfish and more like the monster I believed myself to be for taking his daughter away from him.

As if he heard my turmoil for that brief second in time, Charlie's thoughts suddenly turned, thundering loud and clear in my mind. "_Its fine, Edward. It's just hard for me to let go. I want her happy and safe. You can do that for her." _With a barely perceptible nod, I acknowledged his words.

Bella laughed and scrunched her nose. "Hickeys, really? That's _so_ not funny."

"Vampire and hickeys, I thought it was good. I'm a comedian," Charlie said with a grin. I had to hand it to him. He'd been putting on a real good show for his daughter since the night before. I admired him for that. It was not easy for either of them, but for the moments they had, they seemed to want to make the most of it.

Shaking her head, she turned back to finish up with their quick dinner. With all that happened with Bella's almost catastrophic overload, it seemed that faux wedding plans were on hold for the night.

"What are you thinking?" Bella asked as she passed me, the tips of her fingers brushing my skin through the thin cotton of my shirt along my abdomen. It ignited a longing for her, but I gave her a glare that had her smiling in return. It was hardly fair of her to touch me with her father so close.

"The wolves that are nearby are allowing me to see what's going on with my family, through the other wolves," I whispered.

She stilled, as did Charlie. "Are they all right?" he asked. "And what do you mean allowing you to see?" I explained that the pack shared their thoughts, even miles apart from each other.

"The nomads sensed that we were hiding something or someone," I answered his other question, giving them both a tight smile as my gaze landed on Bella pointedly.

"Oh," she gasped. "They know that your family is protecting a human, you mean."

I continued to monitor the scene from the collective thoughts of the wolf pack. Those with my family were itching for a fight and it seemed it might turn into one. My skills would prove useful in the confrontation but I refused to leave Bella and her father unprotected.

"You should go, Edward," Bella said, pushing her plate and uneaten sandwich away. I sighed and shook my head, rounding the kitchen island to reach her.

"It would not be safe to do so," I replied as I ran a soothing hand along her back. Charlie watched the byplay between his stubborn daughter, who glared at me and worried her lip, and myself, who refused to back down.

"Match made in heaven," Charlie grumbled and tried his best to ignore us.

Bella blushed through a dark curtain of her hair, allowing it to fall in order to hide her embarrassment. "I don't want anything to happen to them."

"And I will not be able to concentrate knowing that you two are left alone to fend for yourselves. That could lead to my making mistakes."

The small creases between her eyebrows softened and unknowingly her mouth formed an adorable but troubled pout. I sighed, since I could not indulge in my desire to kiss her there, and resigned to a soft one on her forehead that caused her to drop it to my shoulder.

"That's so unfair," she muttered.

I stilled when the three wolves that stood watch for Sam growled in unison. The movement caused Bella to sit up straighter and Charlie to sit back to watch me. "What is it?" he asked.

"They had to kill two of the vampires," I replied, reading all the thoughts quickly. "They tried to escape and started to look for Bella's scent."

"And?" she whispered gravely.

I quickly assured her. "My family and all the pack are fine."

"I thought you said there was three."

I nodded. "He's asking for mercy since he hardly knew the other two, and had recently joined them."

Charlie cocked an eyebrow. "Without you, they can't tell if he's lying." He undoubtedly sensed my tension. I nodded and Bella's hand fisted in my shirt.

"Go," she murmured. "Please for me."

I sighed, kissing her forehead one more time and running out the door a second after. I hated to leave her, them, but I would not feel that she was safe unless I knew the true intentions of the lone vampire. It had not helped that he had found Bella's scent during the confrontation.

I said a few words to the wolf I passed on the way to my family and he in turn sent them to the others in the pack. They needed to stall before they allowed the vampire to go. Typing a quick text to Alice, I hoped she would take the time to check it.

The few minutes it would take me to reach them, felt like an eternity away from Bella. I hoped that I would not live to regret it.

~oOo~

Before I reached them, Rosalie intercepted me to lead the rest of the way. _"We should not release him,"_ she hissed internally. _"He has her scent and ours."_

"I realize that," I replied and entered the clearing where most of my family stood. "Where's Esme?"

"She's on the way home." I sighed in relief. She would protect them as fiercely as I would.

Between my family and several wolves, stood a vampire with a dark skin tone who watched me warily. His fear was palpable as his dark red eyes met mine, quickly averting in search of an escape. Instinct had the desire for self-preservation on the forefront of his mind.

"If we release you," Carlisle started as I stood beside him. "Will you give us your word not to hunt in our territory?"

"I've already agreed to your terms," he hissed. "Why do you insist that I answer you again?"

Carlisle gestured toward me, forcing Laurent to look at me again. "Another of my family will be able to tell us if you're trying to deceive us." His eyes widened at Carlisle's explanation, but nothing he could do would keep the thoughts from me. I was thankful that Carlisle did not tell him exactly how my gift worked. It was dangerous for anyone to know all of the gifts within the family. It would make many very nervous.

My hands fisted tightly as I explained. "He was fiercely loyal to both since they have saved him from destruction."

"That's enough reason for me," Emmett growled, crouching near the ground. Rosalie followed his example as the wolves started to close in on Laurent.

"Stop," Carlisle insisted. "Loyalty is one thing. He has done nothing since the confrontation to justify killing him. He completely avoided it."

Sam growled menacingly, his thoughts clear in my mind. "Sam says the fact that he has fed from humans does."

"We were miles from here!" Laurent offered. "I only wish to leave."

"_If we let him go, maybe he'll accidently run into the pack's territory," _Jasper offered through his thoughts. Sam had reached the same solution since it seemed that Carlisle would not allow us to handle Laurent.

"Carlisle is right," I sighed. "He was loyal to them, but not enough to retaliate against us all." The wolves made it clear about what they thought of my words. The only reason they had agreed to help protect Bella was because the abhorred the idea that one of their own would kill a human. Allowing a human-drinking vampire to go free went against their instincts.

"_Coward!"_

"_Coward!"_

"_Let him go, we'll go after him."_

I nodded toward Sam, though I was positive that Carlisle had seen the gesture. We would have to disagree about the issue. Laurent was a threat to Bella and that was unacceptable.

"You are free to go," Carlisle said with a nod. "Do not hunt in the area and if you are truly curious about our diet, then perhaps a visit to another family like ours in Alaska will help you understand."

Simultaneously, Rosalie, Emmett, and Laurent stood up fully. The vampire nodded and darted past two growling wolves, expressing his piqued interest in them. It was not until he was a mile away that his thoughts finally betrayed him. He wondered what the Volturi would think about the Cullen Coven, seemingly protected by werewolves.

"Go after him," I hissed toward Sam, causing Carlisle to protest. I raised a hand for him to stop so that I could explain. "He has not made the decision, but it's enough for him to wonder what the Volturi would think of the scene today for him to pose a bigger threat."

Carlisle sighed after a moment. "You're right. The Volturi here in Forks would be dangerous enough, but with Charlie and the pack's knowledge of us…It would be a massacre." He turned toward Sam and his pack. With a simple nod, the wolves howled and ran after Laurent.

~oOo~

By the time, we returned to the house, thirty minutes had passed. I ran through the living room, stopping at the kitchen doorway. There amongst her father and Esme, Bella laughed and smiled as if she always belonged there.

She stilled as if she felt my presence and turned to meet my gaze. For a brief moment, she was elated to see me, but concern soon filled her features. I went to her quickly, startling poor Charlie in my haste, to calm her nerves. Her arms wrapped around me and her head nuzzled against my chest.

"Is everything all right?" Charlie asked, yelping again when the rest of my family caught up to me, appearing suddenly—to him. He slapped a hand to his chest and heaved out a choked breath. "You gotta stop doing that!"

"As you can see, everyone is safe and good," Alice said as she made her way toward Bella and me. "While Edward explains to Esme and Charlie, I'm stealing Bella! It's time for a practice wedding." She pulled my suddenly scared looking fiancée from my arms, despite my protest.

"I can still do the ceremony, making it the real deal," Emmett said with a wiggle of his brows. "I'm an ordained and I have a certificate!"

"No," Bella, Charlie, and I said in unison.

As Bella ascended the stairs, Emmett whined about everything. How there was no bachelor party, that the wolves had all the fun, and how he wanted to marry Bella and me. All the while, I realized that even though it was not a real ceremony, she would still look and feel like my bride.

"Don't even think about it, son," Charlie said soft enough for Bella not to hear. "She's coming home tonight. Remember, it's a fake wedding." The gleeful words made me laugh as I watched him smile. "That doesn't mean you get a fake wedding night."

"Can't we keep Charlie, too," Emmett said through his laughter. "He's awesome." He draped his arm across Charlie's shoulders. "Let me tell you a little story about my dear brother. You see, he was from a time where chaperoned…" I groaned and if it were not for his proximity to Charlie, I would have tackled him.


	33. Rehearsal

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Two—Rehearsal **

* * *

"Oh my God, Alice!" I heard Bella nearly screech upstairs. "Two dresses! What are you thinking?" I grimaced, trying to not to read any of the thoughts of those with Bella in Alice's room.

"It's bad luck for Edward to see you in your real wedding dress tonight," Alice tried but quickly added, "Come on, Bella. This is a rehearsal, a practice one until we can meet you two in Alaska."

For several moments, there was no response from Bella, until she whispered, "To me, it's real because of Charlie. He's going to be here to walk me down the aisle."

I could hear the grief in her voice without the look Jasper sent me. With the men in my family downstairs, overseeing the last touches to Alice's arrangements outside, Charlie sensed the change in us immediately. Each of us, except for him, heard Bella and Alice's conversation.

"What is it?"

I looked away before I answered, "She feels this _rehearsal_ will be more real to her because you are here to walk her down the aisle."

"And that hurts you?"

I shook my head, and sighed. "Not in the way you think." I looked up at the clear night sky, surprised how the weather had changed to allow us a perfect evening for what lay ahead. "She's hurting because you are."

"She's a daddy's girl," Charlie said gruffly. "If you could become a father…"

"That can never happen, sir," I replied, once again, unable to look into anyone's eyes. My hands clenched at my sides, swallowing the regret. "You have no idea how much I wish I could give her that."

"I know." He patted my shoulder. "Like I know you're hurting because she is. She is sacrificing a lot to be with you. But I can't stand here and watch her waste away, or kill others. That would destroy her."

I nodded and looked into his haunted eyes. "I know that."

"You will do right by my little girl," he said, his hand clenching slightly on my shoulder. "You will protect her and any one that threatens her happiness, even you."

I nodded, whispering, "With my life."

"You will provide her with a sanctuary to save her from herself, if it comes to that."

We all had the same fear, that her powers would make her hard to control after her transformation and she would kill hundreds or thousands before someone could stop her.

"With my solid vow to remain by her side no matter what happens."

He added, "You will love her as she deserves."

"With all that I am."

"That's all a father can ask for." He patted my arm once more and turned to where Esme stood with his suit. His shoulders slumped and under his breath, he grumbled, "I didn't even wear one to my own wedding. Can't I wear my uniform? The gun might come in handy." Emmett roared in laughter, following Charlie inside the house.

Jasper and Carlisle flanked me on each side and Carlisle silently asked, _"When will you leave?"_

"After he falls asleep," I replied softly. "We will be gone before he wakes up in the morning."

"Does he know?" Jasper asked, watching a light from one of bathrooms upstairs illuminate.

I sighed and placed the last cushion on the seating around a beautiful, new gazebo my family built in less than an hour. "He's in denial. A part of him believes I will never drive her home tonight, the other part thinks I would wait until morning."

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Carlisle said. "Would you do it differently if her life wasn't in danger?"

My head turned toward the Alice's bedroom window, a canopy of lighted vines interrupted my view, but I knew Bella was watching and listening.

"Would I marry her?" I whispered softly, continuing after a brief pause, "Absolutely. Would we have married after we finished school? Most likely. Would I change her?" Looking back at Carlisle, I sighed. "Yes, I would have." They each quirked an eyebrow, since they found my words hard to believe. "It would have taken a little convincing, of course." A lot of convincing, I told myself, maybe a few years worth.

They laughed and patted me on the back, leading me toward the house. "Can I have a word with you alone?" Carlisle asked. I nodded and Jasper passed us, going inside. Carlisle laid a hand on my shoulder and offered me a wary smile.

"I know you had plans for Jasper to perform a simple ceremony because you thought I'd be uncomfortable."

I sighed and shrugged. "I did not want to assume you would do it. You have not done so for anyone more than once. It's been years, too." With how often Rosalie and Emmett married, almost every time we graduated high school or college, it was usually Jasper or Esme that officiated. I did not know if he would _want _to perform our ceremony. "However, now I realized that you would feel it to be an honor to do this for us."

"I would."

I swallowed. "In our eyes and hers, we would be married. Only there is not a piece of paper to acknowledge that."

A hand laid on his chest, over where his dead heart lay. "You will feel it here. That's all that matters, son."

I nodded. "Will you explain it to Charlie? Maybe he would feel better about all this, too."

Carlisle smiled and made his way inside. Already, I could hear Alice tell Bella that he would officiate. I could hear as Bella asked how it was possible and as Alice told her a little about Carlisle's history, I looked up toward the sky.

A meteor shot through the starlit canvas in a brilliant steak of white, gold, and red. My memories of my human existence were foggy and unfocused, so I was not sure if I had ever wished upon a falling star. I laughed at myself, for doing something so human.

There was no need for me to wish to find love. I had that already. There was no need for me to wish for a soul mate. I had already found her.

What I wished for was the ability to hold onto her forever.

~oOo~

Minutes later, I passed Alice's room, hearing Bella talk with her mother on the phone again. I hated that we would not be able to see her before we left for Alaska, but it was too great a risk to put Bella on a plane.

Everyone on board could die if she suddenly needed to regenerate. It was the best description that I could give on what her body did when it consumed so much energy. Though I could drive her to Florida, it would take too much time, and time was of the essence.

Even now, as we readied for our wedding ceremony, her fragile, human body rebelled against her unnatural gifts. For every breath she took, her heartbeat a little faster. For every move her muscles made, she burned hotter. Soon, her brain would cook beneath the pressure. According to Carlisle's calculations, we had five days.

My fingers lifted toward Alice's door, touching the surface as if I could reach through it and feel Bella. I heard her sigh, "Edward. Did you change your mind?"

"Never," I replied, dropping my hand. "Double checking to see if you have." Everybody within the house, even Charlie, stilled to hear her answer.

"I would marry you today, tomorrow or after we graduated," she said. Her words nearly mirrored mine, almost as if she heard me with I spoke with Carlisle. "See you downstairs," she added. "Don't be late."

I allowed myself a peek into Alice's mind. "I'll be the one in white, apparently."

Bella laughed, saying something to Alice. "I'll be in white, too."

"You're the only two in the whole house that can wear that color," Emmett snickered from Carlisle's library. The smack behind his head was from none other than Charlie.

Ignoring them as they argued about how to put on their vests, I turned back to the door. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you."

I ran up toward my room, everything that had happened within it replayed my mind as I dressed. The first time I had brought her, when she had collapsed after one of her episodes. Having to undress her and remaining in control of urges that I had never experienced before she had come into my life. The other night we were in my room, where we shared a shower, again an activity that was a test of my control.

I had a feeling the moment she became my wife, that control will spiral with the simplest of touches of her hand. I sighed and tried to dispel the images my overactive imagination conjured whenever I was away from my Bella.

I found my suit and nearly rolled my eyes. Why would Alice pick something like this? It would wash me out.

"_It was one of the ones I could find in your size under such short notice," _she thought loud and clear. I snorted and shook my head, walking into my closet for the shoes she had left there. _"Besides, the more traditional one is for the other ceremony."_

Not bothering to comment, I arranged my white suit on the bed and took a shower. Though I was far from dirty, I still had the stink of the wolves on me. As the warm water fell from above, I allowed my mind to open up to search the surrounding areas.

The thoughts of my family were focused on the wedding, though Emmett would occasionally dwell on Rosalie. Charlie seemed to put his wall back up, and it was harder to get through it, as if he wanted his thoughts to himself. Considering his daughter could die at any moment, was about to marry me, and would become something other than human, I could not blame him for his need for privacy.

I would do my best to allow him that.

I pushed the thoughts of the occupants of my home toward the back of my mind and moved further out. There was nothing besides the normal wildlife for miles. The pack had gone back to the reservation for a few hours to dispose of the three vampire bodies properly. Before I could touch the outskirts of town, I turned my attention back to my shower. There was no sign of Jacob, but I would not allow that to put me at ease. I knew that he would return eventually, and when he did, I would do everything I could to protect Bella.

~oOo~

A little over an hour later, almost seven in the evening, the sun had set and we waited for Alice to announce that Bella was ready. Nerves of another kind held me in place at the end of the short aisle.

What if she changed her mind?

"_I won't." _Confusion lasted for a split second when I realized that Bella had opened her mind long enough to send me a message. _"Almost there."_

My eyes lifted to the house and from a window, I caught the briefest look of white satin. I swallowed and whispered to myself, "I cannot wait."

The anticipation of seeing her had chased the nerves away, but changed them to palpable tension within me. To preoccupy my mind as Bella traversed the long staircase on precarious high heels, according to Alice's thoughts, I studied my surroundings. Alice had outdone herself.

Pale lavender flower petals dotted the off-white runner as matching arrangements lined it. Brilliant white, LED Christmas lights lit up the night, along with the sky above. They hung from the top of the gazebo to the patio of the house where Bella was to walk through in a few short minutes.

My family dressed nicely, all watching me from garden as we waited. The only one missing was Alice who was helping my beautiful Bella with sudden jitters. It was hard to stay out of my sister's mind, but I wanted to see Bella with my own eyes.

My breath lodged in my lungs and throat, as Alice used a remote to start a piece of piano music, that I had composed. I had not been aware that she had recorded it. I smiled at her as she walked down the aisle.

"She's beautiful," she whispered before turning at the end to join Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett at my side.

"As always," I murmured, using the last of my air. My family laughed softly as I took another deep breath, knowing that was I so desperate to be with her again that I forgot to breathe. From inside, I could hear Bella and Charlie talk softly, drawing my attention.

"You ready for this, kiddo?" he asked her. I could hear him shift uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"I am, probably since the first time I saw him."

Charlie cleared his throat. "That quick?" She hummed in response and despite his attempt to block his mind, his thoughts centered on that it had been that way for him with Renee, too.

"Then I totally changed my mind when I saw him in class." I looked like a monster that day, that much was clear in her tone. He laughed then, snickering under his breath. "But I was still intrigued. Wondered if little ol' me scared him away." Those words had my family laughing, too.

"When he came back, it was like I could breathe again," she added with a laugh. "Though I think he didn't for a bit."

"Then he saved you," Charlie said thoughtfully.

"I think I saved him first."

She had, from our first encounter, where I fought against my instinct to destroy something so beautiful. That had me believe I was strong enough to see her again. I would have wandered Earth aimlessly for eternity if she had not intrigued me with her silent mind and her many expressions. My family had moved to Forks because they were starting to worry about me, and they had every reason to. I had not composed another piece of music, or even played in years.

If she had not come into my life, I did not know where I would have been in five years. Now, my future would be brilliant and filled with adoration, devotion, and love. She was simply my everything.

"Let's go see who's here," Charlie said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"I'm mostly worried about one." As if she feared I would disappear.

"He's there," he said to her, gently patting her arm or hand. I was not sure since I still fought to watch her through his eyes. "I think he's always been there."

I always would be.

The French doors, decorated with flowers and twinkling lights, were propped open as Bella and Charlie walked through the threshold. My breath, which I held again, expelled through my mouth hard and fast.

She was breathtaking.

Dressed in a satin and beaded strapless gown, she appeared to float down the aisle. The first few steps she watched the hem of her dress, no doubt worried she could fall. "Bella," I whispered, unable to resist saying her name aloud. Her eyes lifted to mine, widening when she saw me. I smiled at her then, trying not to laugh when her steps quickened.

Overhead light casted off tiny prisms from the beads and crystals on the bodice of her dress, before it flared slightly until it reached the ground. Nothing adorned her neck, left bare of her hair, too. Her long, dark curls swept up, leaving a few tendrils trailing down her nape.

As the music came to a soft close, she reached me. Our eyes remained on each other as her father laid her hand in mine. My fingers, long and white enveloped her warm ones and she stepped that much closer to me at the contact. Her eyes softened, her smile widened as she whispered, "Edward."

Taking a moment for ourselves, I laid my forehead on hers. No more doubts. We were there to marry in the eyes of our family and ourselves. The paper to legalize it was not important for this night. It was only a technicality.

As I turned toward the gazebo where Carlisle stood, another shooting star streaked across the sky, causing Bella to gasp softly. She closed her eyes for a moment, and unknowingly opened her mind again to me.

"_I wish for forever with him."_

"Forever," I whispered as I pulled her hand to my mouth, kissing it lightly. She turned to look at me again, realizing I could hear her. The apple of her cheeks turned an alluring pink, but she remained smiling at me.

As we recited the vows, I held her hands and her gaze. Love lit her dark eyes and my own emotions were reflected within them.

There in front of family, on a dark but brilliant night, she became my wife, my best friend, and my entire world.

~oOo~

**Charlie**

I pressed a button on the alarm clock on my nightstand, not bothering with snooze one. I hadn't slept much anyway. I had to start my day. I stared at the ceiling; trying to bite back the sense of loss I already felt soul deep.

I was afraid to walk downstairs to find that she was gone.

Only a few hours earlier, Bella and Edward had returned from the Cullen estate, after a feast brought in from Port Angeles. My baby girl looked so happy and beautiful under the stars, with her husband by her side as we ate and talked of an uncertain future.

As Carlisle had said, the ceremony felt like the real deal to me as I walked Bella down the aisle, with me dressed in a penguin suit and her in a white dress. I was thankful that I had the privilege to walk beside her and guide her to her future.

I loved and hated every step I had taken to get to the end of that aisle, and to lay her hand in his. A part of me wanted to grab her and run far away from them all, but the smile on her face when she looked at him stopped all those thoughts.

I could not take her away from her happiness.

I shifted to get up and made my way to the bathroom. Thirty minutes later, dressed in my uniform, I grabbed a cup of coffee in the kitchen. I looked outside the window over the sink, finding it unusually bright for a morning in Forks. I wasn't sure how long I stood there—waiting—before I realized it was too quiet.

I didn't hear the usual sounds of Bella getting out of bed and readying for school. The sound of old pipes groaning in protest as she washed her teeth, her footsteps, or the usual curse when she stubbed a toe or hit her elbow as she rushed. The silence was heartbreaking. She was gone.

The confirmation of her leaving Forks lay on the kitchen table in a package. I placed my coffee on the counter and sat down, opening the box. Inside was a fancy black laptop, and two notes landed onto the table. One was Bella's fake note, saying goodbye and indicating that she was going to get married and she'd return someday.

Another was a small note in a fancy script, from her husband.

_Charlie,_

_Inside the computer, you will find the video of the wedding, along with email address to keep in contact with Bella and myself. I recommend that you ensure this does not fall into the hands of authorities. _

_Little words can be said for the sacrifice you have made for her happiness. Just know that I am forever in your debt, and that I will love and cherish her forever._

_Edward_

A tear formed in my eyes as I opened the laptop, on the bright screen was a video. I clicked on it, and tried to keep my emotions in check as I watched my beautiful little girl walk down the aisle.

I traced her face with a tip of my finger and whispered, "Goodbye, baby."


	34. Road Trip

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Three—Road Trip**

* * *

**Edward**

Ahead lay the miles of road that Bella and I would travel together, behind us were those we left. Since we leaving Forks, Bella had been quiet, sitting in the passenger seat beside me. Her dark eyes watched the scenery flash by; to her, it would be mostly a blur due to my speed.

I allowed her some time, since I knew it was hard for her to let go. The silence was something I was used to when I spent hours away from the others, in the peaceful solitude of the meadow. It left me stunned to know that I no longer need that solitude, seeking solace in it from my family. I wanted to spend as much time with Bella as possible.

"How long until we'll need to stop for gas again?" she asked softly, her hands wringing on her lap.

"Whenever you need, Bella," I said, taking one of her hands in mine, placing both on the stick shift. We had been on the road for almost three hours, since our last fill up. Unfortunately, she had fallen asleep by the time I stopped for gas. She looked much too peaceful for me to shake her awake.

"I'd like to stretch out a bit," she murmured. She offered me a smile, raising our intertwined hands to her lips. It was the simplest touch of her mouth on my skin that ignited my body. Would it always be this way? "I hope so."

I smiled at her answer to my unspoken question. Since the day before, we figured out that if she touched me, she did not have to exert as much energy to read my thoughts and for me to have access to hers.

Pulling over onto the shoulder, I exited the car and ran to her side to help her out. With her hand in mine, I closed the door behind her. "It's a little cold," I whispered, moving toward and opening the trunk with my keys and handing her something warm to wear.

She smiled and slipped into the soft blue knit cardigan that Alice had packed for her. Before I could step away so she could stretch as she said, she wrapped her arms around my waist. Confused, I looked at her sweet face and wondered why she closed her mind to me again.

"What is it?" I asked, cupping the back of her head and bringing my lips to hers briefly.

She sighed softly at my touch, her arms tightening around me. "I needed this."

"This?"

She sighed again and laughed. "Sometimes, Edward, you can be awfully obtuse." I chuckled, kissing the top of her head and loving the scent of her hair. "I needed a hug from my husband."

My body reacted to the term, hardening everywhere. However, it was a welcomed reaction, since I loved hearing her call me that _my husband_.

She was my wife.

A sound best described as part growl, part purr escaped me, as I found her mouth again. I cupped the back of her head, keeping her as still as possible as my lips moved over hers. She gasped at the intensity with which I kissed her, grasping the back of my shirt fiercely in her hands and pushing her body tightly against mine.

Then she moaned. The sound was my undoing. As if my hands moved of their own will, they clasped around her hips, lifting her and placing her on the trunk of my car. Her long legs, encased in leggings, wrapped around my waist, her hands still clutching me to her.

Time registered in my mind, allowing me to realize that Bella hadn't taken a breath in over a minute. I swallowed back the reluctance to release her, and pulled away enough to allow her a lungful of air. However, I had not expected her to protest, grab the front of my shirt, and seal her mouth over mine again.

The fact that she _could _do such a thing to me was not lost, but the "how" was pushed aside as she brought my hips achingly close to her. "Bella," I gasped, unable to resist pushing against her as gently as possible. Her answering moan had her lips moving along my jaw, eventually nipping at my ear.

My hands tightened slightly at her hips, lost to the overwhelming sensations that consumed me with such need.

"I needed that, too," she breathed after a few more minutes of beautiful torture.

I nodded, taking my turn to show her the same pleasure, our bodies surging together. As before when we showered in my bathroom back home, I kept my hands moving over her to prevent myself from holding on too hard and tight. My fingers constantly caressed her lightly, thumbing the tops of her breasts, and skimming her skin beneath her sweater. Teasing kisses along her cheeks, her neck, and a tiny spot below her ear that elicited the most primal of reactions between man and woman. Suddenly, her back arched, her hair spilling over her shoulders, lashes fluttering and flushing skin, stilling briefly before she trembled in my arms.

I watched her and it was my turn to freeze, realizing what had happened with the evidence warming her further where we connected. She was beautiful in her pleasure and ecstasy, and I craved to see more. Her forehead fell onto my shoulder and after another minute, I felt the fire of her embarrassment on her cheeks. She tried to push me away.

Shaking my head, I kissed along her jaw, touching the corner of her lips softly. "It's all right, Bella. There's no reason to be embarrassed," I whispered. "It was a beautiful experience to watch."

"I can't believe that happened," she murmured, looking down at her lap and refusing to meet my eyes. I lifted her chin up with the tip of my finger. "You're not mad?"

Confused, I asked, "Why would I be angry that _I _elicited such a beautiful thing to happen?"

She shrugged, still trying to avert her eyes. I did now allow it, tightening my hold on her face slightly. "You said you wanted to wait to do anything like that until I was changed?"

I sighed and released her chin, her gaze immediately moving to something over my shoulder.

"The actual act of making love to you for the first time will have to wait until you are like me. Even though I am starting to believe that you are stronger than you look."

She smiled shyly, lifting an arm up and flexing a bicep. "Oh yeah," she said with a roll of her eyes.

I chuckled and pulled her back into my arms, kissing her forehead. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. In a few days' time, I will initiate the change, and we will be able to share ourselves fully."

"A few days seems like a lifetime," she said, looking up at me and clutching the sides of my shirt.

"After what I just saw and felt," I said with a deep, shuddering sigh. God, I wanted to be with her desperately. "Three days _will _seem like forever."

That did not include the few days it would take for her transformation to complete, and for her blood thirst to diminish enough for other desires to surface. Her desire for me, for what we could share as mates, lovers and as husband and wife.

She hummed in response, pressing a tiny kiss on my neck. "How long until we reach the church?" she asked softly, nuzzling my shoulder. Successfully changing the subject, I thought to myself.

"By morning," I replied and ran my hand through her hair. "After we are legally married, we will travel for additional three hours by car and another by foot."

The cabin campsite we were going to stay in was in a very remote location, with no access points by automobile, even all-terrain. Four small cabins surrounded the larger one of over five thousand square feet.

"Oh, that sounds fantastic," she grumbled. Her thoughts on my preferred method of travel obvious, but once she was a vampire, she would enjoy it as much as I did.

"Bella," I whispered as the wind started to pick up. "Before we go," I lifted her chin again, kissing her lips softly. "I loved what happened."

She bit her lip and looked mildly stunned. "If you say so," she whispered.

"I mean every word."

She looked down again, her fingertip finding its way beneath my shirt to touch my skin. I hissed at the contact, still not under control.

"What about you?"

I knew the question would eventually arise, and as always, I would be honest with her. Taking a gentle hold of her shoulders, I pulled back enough to look into her eyes.

"I will be fine, for now."

Her small nose scrunched, pulling her lips up as she looked at me incredulously. "For now? You can't exactly take a cold shower." Though the subject matter of our conversation embarrassed her, we needed to have it.

I rolled my eyes, tapping her nose with a fingertip. Hers were still skimming along the waistband of my jeans. It took considerable control to keep myself from taking what she offered.

"We can try some things before your change as we discussed." We needed to for more than one reason, but that conversation would wait until we reached the cabin.

She smiled and bit her lip, her free hand lifting to curl in my hair. "How long do we have before your family meets us?" Her breath fanned along my mouth, causing my lips to part, wanting to breathe her in.

"A day at the cabin," I answered, shaking my head slightly. "Nowhere near long enough to learn everything about you." My hands moved gently over her, showing her what I was referring to—her body and all her delectable reactions to my touch. I groaned before I closed my lips over hers. For seconds, minutes, time seemed to cease as we shared another breathtaking kiss, and only stopped when she shivered.

"You are cold," I said firmly. "Come, let's get back on the road."

"Yes, husband," she said with a tiny smile.

Shaking my head, I helped her inside the car. She knew how to push my buttons. I would not survive "trying" if she continued like this.

~oOo~

I was pacing. It seemed that I had been doing that a lot lately. Bella and a woman from the diner we stopped for her to eat near the church were in a room, dressing for our wedding. I loved our first ceremony, and this seemed unnecessary and only needed to obtain a legal marriage.

The reality of the situation was that it still would be illegal, since technically, she was not of age and had no written permission from her father. With our new documentation that showed we were eighteen, if the authorities attempted to track us down, they would know what we had done. They would never find the property we had high in the mountains in Alaska.

The wedding was all for show, yet, I still felt the same nerves that hit me before our first wedding. As if Bella might change her mind. It was ridiculous to feel such a thing when she said yes before, but since I met Bella, I felt many new emotions. Why would it be different even when I knew she would be mine forever?

I heard a door open and I turned to watch Bella come out of the room she was in earlier. She looked over her shoulder at the older, jovial woman that immediately took on the role of a mother and would be our witness as we married.

"Thank you, Camille," Bella said, moving the tail of her gown to the side.

"You are welcome, my dear," Camille whispered and gently took Bella's elbow to help her move easier. "There's a handsome and nervous young man waiting for you down the aisle."

Bella smiled at her words, turning to look at me. I offered a smile in return, winking and earning a laugh.

"You are beautiful," I said loud enough to carry across the large room.

"Been waiting long?" Bella asked, still smiling brightly.

"Only forever," I replied and lifted my hand, waiting for her to come to me.

Beside me, the priest nodded to another woman, who started the wedding march. As the music filled the room, Bella walked in time toward the end of the aisle, her eyes on me. The dress that Alice had chosen for this ceremony was more traditional, with smooth satin, antique lace and tiny buttons along the spine of her back.

She was breathtaking.

Once again, her hand fit into mine as we said our vows, only changing them slightly as we had the night before, for instead of "until death do us part," we said, "For as long as we both shall live."

An hour later, she asked me to help her out of her wedding dress in a tiny hotel room we paid for so she could shower and change earlier that morning. It was such a memorable moment of exploring her skin as I worked each tiny pearl button, finding a wonderful spot that had her making the sweetest sounds at the small of her back.

The only thing that stopped us from sharing more intimate moments was Bella's shield lashing out suddenly and causing the power to go out at the small establishment. It was not safe for her to be so close to humans. Within minutes of the incident, we sped toward the highway.

Bella slept for the duration for our car ride. Once we reached the point where we had to travel by foot, I awakened her with a soft kiss. Her hand curled around my cheek, prolonging the contact with another slide of her mouth along mine.

"Hmm, what a pleasant way to wake up," she said.

_Her days for waking up from a pleasant dream were too few. _I kept what I felt about her words from my features, coming to the realization that soon, she would wake up for the final time.

"We need to run the rest of the way," I murmured, taking her hand in mine, kissing it lightly. "I will drop you off at the cabin, make sure you are settled, and then run back for our things."

She nodded, adding a jacket over her sweater, the temperature well below those in Forks. Bundled up with gloves, a beanie and scarf, she climbed onto my back, wanting to see where we were going.

"If the cold is too much for your eyes, reach into my pocket and grab my goggles," I suggested as I took hold of her thighs, settling her into comfortable position for her.

"Why do I have a feeling you're going to go really fast?" she asked, moving a hand along my side to grab the goggles.

I grinned, but immediately stopped when she tried to see my face. "I have no idea what you mean, Bella."

She huffed, finally pulling out the goggles from my jacket pocket. The torture of her hands moving over me was a test to my dwindling control. She sighed and settled her chin on my shoulder.

"Admit it," she said softly. "You're going to show off."

That time, I was unable to keep the smile from my face. "Maybe just a little."

She yelped in surprise as I took off and hit full speed in mere seconds. "A Ferrari's got nothing on you," she said in my ear, laughing. Such a pretty, little sound made my day a little lighter. "For that extra horse power and speed, ride a Cullen."

I nearly choked in laughter, having to stop. "Oh my God," she cried out, hiding her face with her hair and shoulder. "I was in Emmett's head for too long the other day!"

I was happy for the distraction, because she seemed perfectly content riding on my back as I ran through the forest. As long as she did not have to think about how fast we were moving, or the trees that I might hit.

"No comment," I said, trying to hold back another round of laughs.

"You better not comment," she growled. "Please, for me, will you not tell anyone I said that?"

"Your secret is safe with me," I murmured. For several minutes, neither of us said a word. I felt her move slightly as she put on and adjusted her goggles. She shifted her arms so that she could nuzzle her face against my shoulder.

"It's so cold," she whispered.

"I can speed up a bit more and get us there in faster," I offered. She nodded, tightening her legs around me. "Hold on tight."

I felt her body tense as I started to move faster, though not at my highest speed. Left and right, I dodged trees, boulders, and large snow embankments. I felt her body shiver in my grasp as I slowed after another ten minutes, a warm light filtering through the trees. Seconds later, the cabin grounds came into view.

The main house would be for the others to stay in, while the one I personally used when we visited the area emitted the welcoming glow of light and warmth from its small windows. It was no larger than twelve hundred square feet, but it was all I needed before.

Then again, in Bella's newborn state, she might break it down.

"Honey, we're home," I said softly. She shivered again and she stiffly climbed down as I crouched for her.

"Oh," she gasped, rubbing her face and holding my arm to keep herself steady. "I think I'm frozen." I nodded and swiftly swept her into my arms, and speeding across the pathway that led to my cabin. "Did someone clean up and get the cabin ready for us?" she asked, pointing at the roaring fire and at the lack of dust anywhere. I had told her before that no one had stayed up here in years.

"Our extended family offered to do so when Carlisle notified them of our arrival." They had left minutes before we arrived, their scents still very fresh. Thankfully, it had only been Eleazar and Carmen. I still have not told Bella all about them, especially Tanya. I would tell her first thing in the morning, if not sooner. It was after ten at night, she had to be tired, and it was our wedding night.

She nodded as I sat her down in a chair near the fireplace. "I'm gonna need to change soon." Her body completely shuddered for a full ten seconds before she edged closer to the fire.

"Be careful, love," I whispered, moving the chair forward. "Inside that bureau in the corner are a few items of clothing."

She looked up from the fire, watching me curiously. "Someone's near."

Carmen and Eleazar wished to speak with me and since I still needed to retrieve our things, I needed to go meet them.

"Carmen and Eleazar," I said. "They are the ones that built the fire."

She bit her lip, still slightly trembling. "Are they waiting to come in?"

I shook my head. "I asked for them to give us some space until you are ready to accept visitors, after your change."

She nodded. "How close do they live?"

"They live almost a hundred miles away, Bella." I smiled, cupping her face in my hands. "You are so cold. While you change into something warmer, I will get our things."

"All right," she said as she rose to her feet. "Hurry back." Her feet dragged along the hardwood floors, shaking her arms out. "Please tell me there's plumbing."

I chuckled. "Yes there is. You can shower if you would like, once you warm up a little." Nodding once more, she opened the bureau doors, pulling out one of my sweaters.

The cabin consisted of largely one large room, with a new bed in one corner, across from that was a chest and bureau. On the adjacent was a tiny kitchen that never had any use before. The only reason it we had one in each cabin was because hunters had come this far up and made their way inside for shelter, though the occasion had only arisen once since they were built.

"I think I will shower," she said, pulling out a fluffy towel from the same bureau. "I'm guessing there's food in those cabinets."

"Yes," I said softly, enthralled as she stepped about of her shoes. When she started to strip out of her jeans, I knew I had to leave. I could only handle so much. "I will be right back."

She said nothing, oblivious to my moral dilemma.

"You are my husband, Edward. It's hardly immoral to want to be with your wife."

Apparently, I was wrong.

"I know," I said, unable to watch her any longer, turning toward the fire.

"And whatever you just blocked from my intrusion about your extended family," she said in a whisper, "You need to be ready to tell me what it is when you return." When I said nothing, she added, "No more secrets, Edward. You promised me."

"I will tell you later," I turned when I felt her standing behind me. Her now warmed hands settled on my chest. "You look better now."

"I feel better."

"Your powers," I hinted.

"I think so," she said softly, shaking her head. "I can't seem to control when I should heal but they worked to bring my body temperature back to what's normal for me. I'm still taking a shower. My bones still feel cold." She shuddered again.

"All right," I said, pressing my lips to her forehead. "It should not take me long, about twenty minutes."

"Go," she said, laughing when I refused to let her go. She was dressed in towel with a blanket draped over her shoulders. Did she think I would be able to walk away from such an inviting temptation? "Edward, the faster you finish the more we can explore your terms for our wedding night."

Admittedly, I was out the door in less than a second, carrying her laughter with me.


	35. Let It Be Me

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Four—Let It Be Me**

* * *

**Edward**

**Song: **_**Let It Be Me**_** by the Everly Brothers**

The run back to the car was faster without Bella riding on my back. Mainly because of the weather, I had not run at my top speed earlier until I realized she was too cold.

There waiting beside my car was Carmen and Eleazar. They had some Spanish heritage, both with the exotic shaped eyes, dark hair, and light brown skin, even beneath the pale veil of our kind. They tried to keep their thoughts from me, but failed the moment I stepped into view.

"_Who is she? Is she human, Edward?"_

"Her name is Bella, and yes, she is still human," I said, pausing for a moment to decide how much I should tell them. The night before, I had Carlisle call them to help ready my cabin, and he mentioned that I would be staying along with my mate. However, we had kept the fact that she was human from them. "I will be changing her in the next day or so."

Eleazar cocked a dark eyebrow in question. His surprise at the fact that I wanted to change _anyone_ was palpable in his expression. He knew how I felt about the existence we lived, about the souls we lost because of it. However, he focused on something else.

"Her heartbeat is faster than any human I had ever encountered at a rested state." He closed his eyes, listening for the sweet, mesmerizing drum of Bella's heart miles away. Her soft humming accompanied it, along with the steady flow of running water of her shower. "Is she ill?" He did not allow me to answer, shaking his head as he continued. "Her core body temperature is four degrees higher than normal and the power of her shield," he held up a shaking hand to his head, "is unimaginable. I have never felt anything like it. And she's _human_."

I anticipated the question in his thoughts at the same moment it flitted across his mind. _"What would it be like as an immortal?"_

The keen interest in his eyes was clearly seen as Carmen stepped forward, noticing the defensive stance I had taken. Though I knew and could see Eleazar's loyalty to his family and ours, I could not ignore his growing interest in Bella and fact that he used to be part of the Volturi.

"Eleazar," Carmen said, looking over her shoulder at her husband. "You are starting to cross a thin line, mi corazón." She sensed that I felt threatened by his thoughts and questions.

Clearly chagrined, Eleazar nodded. "I apologize, Edward. I meant no offense. I am simply fascinated."

"As was I from the moment I met her," I confessed.

"Ah, her thoughts are shielded. Her mind is a mystery to you."

I thought it was best not to confirm or deny his words, and only smiled in return.

"Look at that smile," Carmen said. I heard the same motherly affection she had for my cousins directed toward me.

"Hello, Carmen," I whispered, smiling down at her. Her dark curls flew around her, the wind speed picking up. She patted my cheek, cupping my jaw and looking at me squarely in my eyes.

"Oh, sweet boy," she said. "You're happy. I haven't seen a smile upon your face like this one before. Tell me about her."

"She is beautiful, wonderful," I replied, lifting my eyes to meet Eleazar's over Carmen's head. "She is extraordinary."

"How did you two meet?" he asked, his thoughts turning toward my sudden visit earlier this year and the reason behind it.

"In school," I replied, confirming his suspicions.

"She's the same girl?" Carmen said, laughing. "Only you would find a mate that you _thirst_ for." Amused, she patted my cheek once more and turned to her husband. "Have you ever heard of a vampire and his singer becoming mates?"

Eleazar shook his head, stepping forward and offering a hand to me. After a firm handshake, he rubbed at his jaw, thinking aloud. "I will be honest. I have never heard of a vampire allowing his singer to survive long enough to have any time to form a bond. Much less determine that he or she is their mate."

"Carlisle told me a little about singers. What do you know of them?" I asked, confused by his conflicting thoughts. There was fear of the unknown, the consequences of mating with my singer.

"For every vampire, there is a human's blood that sings to them. As if, he or she was made for only that vampire. Even the oldest and strongest of us would be unable to resist the temptation." Eleazar looked clearly in awe of me, something I felt I did not deserve after everything Bella had been through since we met. "The last human I drank from was my singer. She was only eleven years old."

His memories invaded my mind, each horrifying second of the encounter with the child. Her screams still plagued him, even after a century. Though he thrived on a human diet while with the Volturi, he had never taken a life of someone so young. "I met Carmen four months later. I was starving, punishing myself for the girl's death. She gave me something to live for again and with her love, I asked Aro for my freedom, which he granted. We stumbled upon hunting animals soon after."

I knew a bit about their pasts, but I had no idea about the little girl until now.

"I have talked with others that encountered their singers and it was the same for them, too." Eleazar sighed and looked up at the clear, star-lit sky. "Not one of them stopped once they had that first taste of their singer's blood."

I nodded, since I expected as much. Emmett had shared two experiences with such temptation; one was far more potent than the other. Neither of them survived. Instinct and the lure had him pouncing on his prey, and the thought of holding back had not even occurred to him.

"I must go before she finishes her shower," I said with a nod, moving toward the trunk of my car.

"Are you sure you will be able to handle changing her yourself?" Eleazar asked.

"I am positive," I said, feeling a confidence I had not experienced until recently. "I have been around her blood and have not lost control. As a precaution, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper would be close by. They'll be joining us the day after tomorrow."

I closed my trunk, handing the keys to Carmen, who would park it in their garage to avoid having to dig it out from the snow later. I also feared a human would come across it while Bella hunted nearby. When I turned, Eleazar's intense and penetrating gaze bore into mine.

"Do you think you will need that much assistance with the girl?" he asked. Instinctively, he knew I was hiding something about her. "Does the girl pose that much of a threat as a newborn?"

My lip hitched over my teeth in a snarl. "Her name is _Bella_."

He nodded and said her name once, offering me a wary smile. I knew that I was coming off as protective and perhaps rude, but it was Bella that he was referring to, and she meant everything to me. "And yes, we might need assistance. Thank you."

Only if I were desperate would I call upon them.

"You need to tell us," Carmen said softly. "If something should happen and she escapes you, we could look out for her if she approaches any of the nearby towns." Perceptive as always, she smiled warily. "We will not harm her, Edward."

I sighed and dropped my gaze to the ground. She was right, of course. It would be wise to have a second line of defense in case Bella escaped my family and me. However, they would likely kill her, if she threatened their peaceful existence.

If I needed their assistance, they would need to know what they could be up against if they encountered Bella as a newborn.

"Her mind has always been blocked from mine," I said, meeting Eleazar's eyes again. "From the start, she has been able to hide that part of herself. She suffered a head injury that caused some adverse effects to her shield."

Intrigued, Eleazar raised an eyebrow in question. "Effects?"

"It manifested into something physical while she's still human."

His eyes widened. "She has both a mental and physical shield?" It was obvious he had never encountered gifts as Bella's powers, especially in one being. I nodded and explained the nature of her shield. How it healed her and others by taking energy from her surroundings. How it could stop people, vampires and shifters alike, in their tracks. I also warned them of Jacob, the threat that he still posed.

The entire conversation since my arrival had taken less than a two minutes, but already, I was taking too long. I wanted to go back to Bella.

"She may prove too much for you to handle," Eleazar concluded, and added, "Even with the help of your family."

"I know," I said with a deep sigh of regret. "I have little choice in the matter. Her gifts are taxing her and she only has days until they will kill her. What would you have me do otherwise? I can not live in world where she does not exist."

"She is your mate," he said. "I expect nothing less. Perhaps it would be best that the rest of us join you."

"She does not know enough about you and my cousins," I indicated, shaking my head. "There has not been time."

Carmen raised an eyebrow. "It would be best to tell her now about Tanya's previous advances and interest before she is changed. In her newborn state, she would attack her with much less provocation than competition for your affection."

"There is no competition," I said fiercely. They knew that Tanya's past flirtations were merely a need to make another conquest, and my lack of interest in her was a challenge. Emotionally, my disinterest did not bother her, but her ego had taken a hit.

"We know that, and so will Tanya when she learns that you found your mate. But Carmen is right, Edward, you must tell her," Eleazar said, taking the car keys from his wife. "We will not come until you call us that you are ready for visitors. However, I will offer my assistance if problems arise." I nodded.

Carmen smiled, patting my shoulder before sliding in the passenger seat of my car. She took a deep breath, catching Bella scent in the car, and shook her head. "You are stronger than I ever realized to resist such temptation."

"_Perhaps more than Carlisle," _she added in her thoughts.

Thinking of what awaited me at the cabin—my Bella and "practicing"—I smiled slightly, even more eager to go. This kind of temptation was different and welcomed. "You have no idea."

Something in my features must have given Carmen an idea of the direction my thoughts had taken. She laughed and closed the door, waving. She did not leave without one last warning.

"_Though your cousins have successfully had intimate relations with human men, it would be much different for you."_

I knew as much, offered one last nod, and ran toward the cabin. Within minutes, I had reached my destination, immediately making my way inside.

I dropped our suitcases near the door. Alice had packed a bag for each of us, since we had to make it look like we ran away from Forks and could not bring Bella's things. I scanned the cabin and could see the light coming from beneath the bathroom door.

Bella had finished with her shower and seemed to be getting dressed. I ran toward one of the kitchen cabinets to grab a box of candles. The cabin was equipped with dim lighting, but I wanted something a little more special for one of Bella's last nights as a human.

Within a few seconds, candlelight flickered from every surface of the room. I pulled out from my bag an mp3 player and some small speakers. However, I did not start any music. Before anything could happen between us, we needed to talk about my extended family. It was better to take care of it now before my family became too curious and visited.

"Edward," Bella called from behind the bathroom door. "Can you hand me my makeup bag, please? I'm pretty sure Alice said she packed one earlier."

"I will grab it." I went to her suitcase and found a smaller one inside. Pulling that out, I noticed something on the very bottom, _lace. _Amused, I thought to myself that I would have to thank Alice later for that.

I knocked on the door, which she opened immediately. Dressed in one of my sweaters, she looked even more enticing. I thought it could not be possible. Her face was rosy from the warm water, her hair damp and curling around her shoulders, the hem reaching just above her knees but still made her bare legs incredibly long.

She cocked her head to one side, watching me. "Edward?" It was then that I noticed her extended hand as if she waited for something.

I smiled, shaking my head. "I should not forget things, but I am easily distracted around you." I placed her bag on the bathroom sink and clasped her hand in mine. "Are you hungry?"

She bit her lip, nodding. "A little."

"I will warm up some soup while you finish dressing."

"Did Alice pack me some sweats or something?" She looked down at her temptingly bare legs. "Your boxers kind of fall off me and they look ridiculous."

I cradled her face in one hand, lifting her sweater she wore slightly. Sure enough, beneath the hem I caught a peek of the dark grey boxers I usually wore, only she rolled up the waistband several times. I thought seeing my sweater on her was very nice, but this was incredibly enticing. She grasped my wrist, her eyes widening as her cheeks tinged pink.

"They look far from ridiculous on you," I said thickly, dropping the sweater and smoothing down the fabric. The warmth of her hip and waist beneath my hand had me wanting to feel more.

She needed to eat first, I reminded myself. "If you must change, your bag is by the bed. I will grab whatever you need."

She shook her head, dark tendrils of her hair falling to provide her some cover. I smiled, waiting for whatever she wanted to say.

"I guess I can stay like this," she murmured, finally meeting my eyes again.

I bent to press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Good," I whispered, despite the fact that seeing her dressed in so little would test my control. "Let's get you fed and I will tell you about the coven nearby."

"I thought you wanted to wait until morning."

I did, but with her curiosity, she was bound to use her gifts to read my thoughts before I had a chance to say a word. That was not the way for her to find out about Tanya and the others. I worried that if she saw my memories of Tanya's attempts to lure me into her bed, she would retreat into herself again. That was not a visual Bella needed, and neither did I, for that matter.

"It would be best to get it out of the way," I said, taking her hand to lead her back out toward the tiny kitchenette.

"They can't be that bad," she said, her fingers gripping mine tighter. "They drink from animals, too, right?"

I stopped and turned to look at her. "Of course, Bella. I would never allow another vampire that did not follow our diet near you." I had difficulty with even those that did.

"All right," she said as I pulled out a chair from the small round table near the sink. "Are you going to make me something to eat?"

Stumped for a moment at the sweet, yet doubtful look on her face, I turned toward the cabinets and extracted a small pot, teakettle, and other items. "There is not much, obviously. But it should be enough until…"

"Until you change me," she finished for me.

Stilling for a moment, I breathed in deeply, taking her in her decadent scent. "Yes. Most of this is replaced every six months, so it should be all right." I looked over my shoulder to find her staring at the fire. "If you need something else, I could go into town for more supplies."

She turned her attention to me, looking at me questionably.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You're nervous." She was much too observant. "Is it my change or what you have to tell me?"

I sighed, turned, and leaned against the counter to look at her. "Both." She remained silent, waiting for me to continue. "Let me get you fed and I will tell you."

She nodded and shifted on the chair, tucking one of her feet beneath her backside, crossing her other leg over her knee. I could not pull my eyes away from her. Smiling, she rubbed her growling stomach, reminding me of my task.

"I hope it's always like this," I said, laughing softly. She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea what you do to me. It's enough to drive me to distraction, every time I look at you."

"Good to know."

There was promise there, but also a flicker of a taunt in her voice. After she quenched her thirst that first day she awoke from her transformation should be interesting. _Very interesting. _I worked in silence, wishing I could offer something better than canned soup.

"What do you do here when you visit?"

"When I was not on newborn watch, I would read, listen to music, hunt, and write."

I heard her shift in her chair, and I noticed that she sat up further. "Write?"

"I have written in a journal since my transformation."

"Private ones?" I could see that curiosity of hers burn in her eyes.

"Not from you, no." I served her a bowl of soup and some tea, taking the chair across from her.

"Thank you," she said softly, blowing at the heat coming from her food. I nodded, unable to pull my eyes away from her mouth. After a few minutes, she started to blush under my gaze, however. "So, are you going to tell me now?"

I nodded, sighing and gathering my thoughts. "We have known them for a long time now. They are the only other vampires that we have come across that followed the same diet. We were scouting the property that we purchased, looking for the perfect place to build a home. They found us, introduced themselves. Carmen and Eleazar were both created in the 1700's, whereas their daughters, Irina, Kate, and Tanya are much older, though they were changed in their early twenties."

"Daughters?"

"They are not sisters, but the vampire that created them, Sasha, looked for young women with the same look and build as her own. Tanya, however, was a relative. Eventually, she came across Irina and Kate, wanting more companions for Tanya and herself. After their mother was killed, the sisters wandered around until they came across Carmen and Eleazar."

"All right," she said softly. "How did their mother die?"

"That is another story, and is not important to what I have to tell you. It has to do more with their interest in me."

She bit at her lip again and her spoon dropped the spoon with a loud clank. "You said you were never with anyone before." I was not sure where the edge of hurt came from, jealously or her fear that I lied to her again.

I shook my head. "No, I have not."

"But you've done _other _things with _them_?"

"God, no!"

"Then, what is it?"

"I am sorry. I seem to be making this harder on us than it should be. I just know that if I had to hear anything like this about you, I would become upset. Even though it would be seem completely illogical since we did not know each other before."

"All right, just tell me."

"They had expressed some interest in me," I indicated. "Two of them respected my decision not to take what they offered." She scrunched her nose in distaste, likely for my choice of words However, it was exactly that. "One of them seemed to take my rejection too lightly and continued her pursuits."

"Understandable," she murmured, looking down at her fidgeting hands on her lap. "I mean, look at you."

"My appearance was only a part of it," I said with a roll of my eyes. "She saw me more as a challenge."

Her head snapped up to meet my eyes. "Is she going to be a problem?"

I shook my head. "She knows what it is to be mated. She would not attempt anything, but she will be curious."

"Ah, so that's why you're telling me. They'd eventually pay a visit to see who captured your heart. And you didn't want me to read her thoughts."

"Exactly," I murmured. "I have no idea how your gifts will manifest after you are changed, and I feared you would see Tanya's fantasies as memories."

"And you're afraid I'd rip her head off?"

I smirked, noticing for the first time the smile on her face. "Something like that."

"Edward," she sighed, taking my hand that sat on the table. "We've shared thoughts, remember? I know how you see me, though I thought for a while you must be biased and blind, I'm learning and trying to accept that you see me as truly beautiful."

My fingers tightened around hers for a second. "You are."

"If you say there is nothing to worry about, I believe you."

"She never caught my interest," I stated firmly. "You are the most beautiful girl…no, woman I have ever seen."

A fiery blush flushed her cheeks, extending well below her neck. I could not help but follow the path of warmed skin and blood to the top curve of her breasts. I swallowed deeply, appreciating the way my sweater gaped around the front.

"Are you done?" I asked. My eyes were still on that sweet, warmed flesh.

I could see her breathing had become harder. "Yes," she whispered. Releasing her hand, I had her things washed, dried, and tucked away in seconds. When I turned my attention back to her, she looked thoroughly surprised at my speed, but it only lasted a second.

"I should turn down the covers," she whispered, rising to her feet. I nodded and watched as she walked across the room to the large bed. I stoked the fire, adding several logs to help keep the cabin warm for a few hours. I started some music and adjusted the sound so it would only blend with the background noise of the night.

At the foot of the bed, Bella was looking through her bag, becoming increasingly furious as she went through it. "She knows we can't do anything like_ that_ before...before my change. Why would she pack this kind of stuff?"

I laughed and took the small slip of blue silk from her clenched fists. "I think she knew we wanted to try some things before you are turned."

"It's kind of disturbing to be aware of someone's sex life."

I chuckled, placing my hands on her hips. "You have no idea. Try living with three couples when you have super hearing and can read their thoughts." She shuddered in my arms.

After a few moments, she looked up at me. "I want you. I want you to be with me in whatever way you can, while I'm still human. While I'm still warm and I'm still me. Will you still want me after?"

Was that what had her worried? "You will still be my Bella," I murmured, cupping her face and kissing her gently. "After your first hunt, other hungers will take over."

Her features softened further as she kissed the palm of my hand, my skin tingling from the contact. "I can't imagine wanting anything more than you." Her hand ran up my arm, circling my wrist. "Is it that way for you? Or do you want blood more?"

It was a question she asked more than once, and it still had the same answer.

"Trust me, Bella," I said, bending to press my lips against hers again. "I hunger more for _you_ than the blood you carry."

She nodded, breathing softly against my mouth. Her scent encompassed my senses. Delicate, warm fingertips ran up my arms as we kissed, curling into my hair as my mouth slanted over hers. Breathless, we pulled apart only slightly to allow her to breathe. I rested my forehead on the top of her head, my hands spanning her small waist.

"Should I change?" I could hear some of her uncertainty and her usual self-consciousness.

I ran my hands up her arms, skimming my palms over her shoulders and cradling her face again. "Whatever you feel comfortable with, my love," I whispered, placing a heated kiss along the top curve of her mouth. "But…"

"But?" she whispered as I continued caressing her, knowing that I was hardly playing fair.

"I want to see you covered in nothing but silk and lace." She gasped as I pressed my lips against hers harder, tasting each pink curve with a sweep of my mouth. Minutes later, she nearly swayed on the way to the bathroom to change, in an almost drunken stupor from my kiss.

The moment the door closed behind her, I started to strip from my clothing. I folded everything onto a nearby chair, and found a pair of dark blue silk pants that Alice packed for me in my suitcase. I heard the water running of the bathroom sink and knew my time was limited.

I found the box of one of my mother's most treasured jewelry pieces. Since I had placed a family heirloom ring on Bella's finger for our wedding, I had wanted to give her more. I wanted to see the piece settle on her chest, near her heart. More than that, I wanted that excuse to place it around her neck, to touch her there.

I shivered in anticipation as I moved toward the foot of the bed just as the bathroom door opened. Swallowing unnecessarily, I stared at her.

Shyly, she looked away, lifting her hand and biting her tip of her thumb. She drew her feet together, one sliding of the top of the other. What occurred was an enticing shift of her hips, of her thighs rubbing together.

_How am I to survive the night when she falls asleep?_

My eyes lingered on her thighs, taking in the lacy edge of the blue silk nightgown she wore. It reached only three or so inches aboveher knees. The fabric was nearly sheer to my eyes, due to the light that surrounded her like a halo from behind. She appeared as part of an ethereal dream. It flared and teased with ruffled edges along the beautiful curve of her hips where it cinched in slightly over her waist and continued until it cupped her breasts. The color contrasted beautifully against her skin.

Tiny straps graced her shoulders, and I noticed for the first time a sprinkle of freckles along the top of them. My hand lifted from where it had remained immobile for several long moments, lost in the pleasure of just gazing at her.

She heard the rustle of fabric or perhaps my internal plea for her to come closer. I seemed paralyzed, my feet planted to the floor as she stepped toward me. Her eyes still had not lifted, seemingly afraid of my reaction. Slowly, her fingers slid along mine and up my wrist, using it to pull herself closer, blindly.

As her hand drifted up my arm, my free one lifted to trace the thin strap on her shoulder. At the touch, her eyes finally met mine. I cupped her cheek, rubbing a thumb over her warm skin.

"You are so beautiful," I said softly. She gave me a soft, tentative smile. "I have something for you." Her eyes widened briefly, before she laughed.

"You can't seem to help yourself, can you?"

I had told her that I loved the idea of showering her with gifts, and though she was reluctant at first, she seemed more open to them now. "Turn around, please." She did, slowly. Well, to a vampire, it was slow. However, I had nothing to complain about the view. The back of her nightgown was just as pleasurable to experience as the front.

I slipped a hand over the smooth, pale expanse of her back, most of it exposed and framed by the same delicate blue lace and silk. Her head fell to one side as I continued, gathering her hair in my hand and placing it over her shoulder so that it cascaded over a breast.

My fingers ran over her curls, skimming the top swell. She gasped softly, leaning back against me. From the bed, I lifted the necklace and placed it around her neck. Again, a soft, sweet sound escaped from her lips at the touch of the icy, diamond heart settling between her breasts.

Her fingers closed around the pendant for several seconds and murmured a little prayer so she would not lose it. I laughed softly, turning her to face me again. I traced the thin gold chain along its length, joining her fingers around the small heart.

"You look almost giddy," she teased.

"You have no idea what it means to me, to see these little symbols of my affection on you." She smiled at my words, tiptoeing to brush her lips across mine. At the start of a new song, I saw recognition in her eyes.

"My mother used to listen to this." She surprised me further. "Will you have this dance with me, Mr. Cullen?"

I bowed and offered her my land. "With pleasure, Mrs. Cullen."

She once admitted to being uncoordinated on a dance floor, but gave me the chance to lead her that night. Soon enough, we spun around the room, with her pressed against me. I put the song on repeat with a tap of a button as we passed, and started to sing along.

"I bless the day I found you," I sang, whispering the words near her ear. At the next turn, I continued, "I want to stay around you." I tightened my hold on her, only enough to bring that wonderfully soft part of her against the hard plane of my chest. "And so I beg you, let it be me.  
Don't take this heaven from one. If you must cling to someone, now and forever, let it be me."

Her sweet voice whispered the words, too. "Each time we meet love, I find complete love. Without your sweet love what would life be?"

By the end of the chorus, our hands started to explore. Watching her fingers move up my chest almost proved to be too much. Her warm palms skimmed my abdomen and the top of my sleep pants.

"I know you're afraid," she said in a soft whisper. "We'll only go as far as you can handle. I don't want you do anything you're not ready for."

I bent to kiss her lips, and there I replied, "That should be my line." Her laughter was sweet and I loved the sound as always. I pressed my lips to hers again, unable to resist. "I love you."

As she whispered the same words to me, I gently laid her on the bed. I watched her, the fall and rise of her chest, the slight parting of her thighs to accommodate my body, the flush that swept along her pale skin.

"You are so beautiful." I had said those words to her many times, and I would every day for the rest of our existence. Her hand lifted to take mine. Our fingers intertwined and I allowed her to pull me over her. It was our first night in our marriage bed as husband and wife, and I hoped one of many- an eternity's worth.


	36. Within Your Arms

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Five—Within Your Arms**

* * *

Bella captured my face between her warm hands as part of my body pressed against hers. "I'm no longer cold," she said softly, giving me a shy smile.

I could not help the laugh that left me, pressing a little closer to emphasize my point. "Neither am I."

She rolled her eyes at my wiggling eyebrows. "You are not a gentleman raised in the early 1900's. What have you done with _my_ Edward?"

Distraction from my tormented thoughts was what she was attempting to do. She must have seen the look of fear and trepidation in my features before I joined her in bed. I thought I had masked it well, breaking through the surface for only a second. I should have known better, she was always so observant of me.

"You unleashed this side of me all on your own, my dear," I said, kissing her lips much too briefly. "You could not expect me to remain so…"

"Gentlemanly?" she offered.

"I was going go say prudish, as Emmett has often called me, but gentlemanly works, too."

She laughed softly, an enticing action that had effects of another nature on her body. It was hard to keep my eyes on her sweet face than on the rest of her, but somehow, I managed. I lowered myself from my hands to my elbows, pressing that much closer to her. She tried to contain her reaction, a soft moan, but it escaped her nonetheless.

"I love you," she whispered softly, her fingers slowly climbing up my back. My eyes closed at the sensation, my sensitive skin, firing signals at lighting speeds to my mind. My body reacted before I realized what I was doing. Hip to hip, I rocked against her, and then instantly stilled.

As our hips met, she gasped, her mouth near my lips. "It's okay," she murmured, her mind open. There was no pain in her thoughts. Her eyes softened as she reached for my hair. "It's all right, Edward."

"I'm sorry. This is why," I said, grasping for control. "Your touch…" I shook my head as I tried to find the words. "My desire for you drives my instinct to the surface."

"I know," she murmured, her fingers playing with my hair. "We can go real slowly, Edward."

I nodded. "I think it is best if you do not put your hands on me."

She smiled gently, understanding that I needed a little more control of the situation. "In a minute," she said, pulling me down for a kiss. I groaned at the touch of her mouth and allowed her to taste me as she pleased. As her hands slowly fell away and onto the mattress, I deepened our kiss and felt her lips part beneath mine.

She giggled when my chest met hers. "That's a little cold," she said sweetly.

"I can tell." I felt the tips of her breasts tighten beneath the silk of her nightgown at the press of my cooler skin.

At my words, she blushed and grinned. "I like this side of you."

"Good to know," I teased, smiling as I kissed her again. I found the lighthearted teasing helped ease some of the tension in me. I tried for a little more. With my venom in control, I tasted the inside of her mouth with a gentle slide of my tongue.

I felt the bed shake beneath us. She kept her hands twisted in the sheets. Her shield encompassed us both, keeping me safe from her powers, but the room around us suffered a worse fate. Candles brightened, the fire burned hotter, the bed shook. I could only imagine how hard it was not to touch me. She was stronger than I was, being able to resist the temptation of touching what she desired most. If our roles reversed, I would have failed the instant we fell into bed.

Her soft, warm skin called to me to explore every dip and valley, test every inch with my touch, my mouth. There was so much yet to discover. Would her skin flush with color or erupt in goose bumps? To find her intimate places, those hidden, others easily seen, taste them, and see where she loved my mouth most.

"Edward," she moaned, her hips starting to undulate under mine, but caught herself in time to slow down.

I was aware that she heard my every thought, saw my every fantasy. I closed my eyes long enough for her see that first time I saw her undress in her room. How I reacted to what I had seen. A small gasp escaped her, her chest arching closer to the touch of my lips, as they skimmed her shoulders with kisses.

"Even then, I wanted you like this," I murmured. "I never imagined I would have the chance…no, the privilege to hold, love and touch you as your husband."

The scent of her tears captured my attention, as I lifted my eyes to find her crying softly. "Bella?" Though her eyes closed, the smile on her face was real. That alleviated some of my worries.

"I'm just happy, Edward," she said softly, finally meeting my gaze and wiping at one of her tears. I swept my lips over the next one that escaped and she shivered as I continued until she tipped her head up to capture my mouth again. Even something as simple as tears tasted so sweet to me.

We carried on this way for several minutes, murmuring soft words of love to each other. As her fingers continued to clench and release in the sheets, I trailed open-mouthed kisses along her neck.

"It tingles," she whispered, moaning, as I tasted the strip of skin beneath the thin strap of her nightgown. I watched it fall an inch down her shoulder, the front gaping enough to see more creamy curves. "Edward."

It was a gasp that time, twisting her head to the side to give me access. To more of her skin. To the artery that thrummed with life beneath the surface. To bite and take what I had wanted desperately on that first fateful day.

Each thought was fleeting, as I tasted the tiny brown freckles along her shoulder that formed an imperfect triangle. She laughed at the special attention, asking silently why.

"Because they are a new discovery," I murmured, whispering the words along her collarbone . She sighed, as I tasted the hollow of her throat, her skin warming beneath my lips. "There are so many more to find. We may be here all night."

She laughed softly, but moaned deeply as one of my hands swept up her thigh. She was warm and soft beneath my palm. I watched as her dark lashes fluttered along her cheek, her eyes closing. She was lost in my touch, and fully gave into the pleasure of it. I groaned, watching the rise and fall of her chest and wanting to see so much more.

"You can see more if you want," she said, rolling her shoulder enough for the loose strap to drop further. The only thing that prevented the complete exposure of her left breast was the taut peak.

I growled, trying to keep my eyes on her sweet face. "You are a dangerous woman, Bella."

She sucked in a breath and her bottom lip as I slid my hand up her thigh further. When I moved beneath the hem, she gasped as my fingers spread and curved over her backside. There was exquisite softness, and the shape was perfect in my hands. I fell back to knees, in need to see the progress of my hands, to see them on her in this way.

Her body arched, her thoughts lamented the loss of my body pressing against hers. "Soon, my love," I whispered hoarsely. "I want to look at you."

She nodded absently, whimpering softly as my other hand joined the first beneath the silk, grasping her hips. My hands spanned her easily, my fingers splayed to test the tentative roll of her hips.

"Bella," I hissed through clenched lips and watched as she shifted on the bed. I slipped one hand back down, watching tiny bumps rise along the top of her thigh. I teased the back of her knees, finding it sensitive to my touch. She was ticklish there, enough to elicit a soft laugh. I did it again, loving the sound of her laughter. My mouth brushed a tiny spot on her ankle, gently placing her foot back on the bed, and taking the other to mimic my actions of the first.

Done with my quest, I started another. My hands skimmed up her thighs, watching them part and found nothing beneath her nightgown. I originally thought she had worn the matching tiny scraps of strings and silk to her nightgown. "Dangerous," I repeated, kissing the inside of her left thigh.

As my hands ventured higher, the silk bunched around my wrists and without my having to ask, my wife lifted her arms over her head. Careful to keep my touch as light as possible, I slipped the garment off her hips, skimmed her waist and along the sides of her breasts. Her breathless response was a tiny roll of her hips and the shift of her feet on the bed.

"This is torture," she gasped. "Payback will be so sweet."

I smiled at her words and allowed my body to press over hers, as I tossed aside the slip of silk and lace. My hands shook as I asked, "Payback?"

"After my change," she murmured, unaware that I could see her thoughts. I groaned at the images. "I'll force you not to touch me."

"You know I want you to," I reasoned. "But there is only so much I can handle."

She nodded, seeming to understand. "One at a time."

"For now, yes."

"Then it's your turn," she whispered.

"What? Why?"

"You're having a hard time. You said you wanted to see me, but you've kept your eyes on the covered parts." She blushed then, continuing after a moment. "Plus, I want to. You've already seen me um, you know, let go, and I want you to feel that, too."

She was right, of course. I wanted that, to share something so intimate with her, my wife.

I swallowed and nodded, slowly pulling back and keeping my eyes on her face. "Okay." Perhaps through my release, my desire would bank, and when I touched her again, I could remain in control.

She seemed surprised and quickly scrambled to her knees, scared that I would change my mind.

That was a mistake. I inhaled sharply, as I nearly devoured her with my eyes. It was the only description on how my gaze roamed over her.

Her lovely, warm skin illuminated by the glow of the flickering candlelight and fires, completely exposed to my perusal. I had, until that moment, kept my eyes on the more innocent parts of her, as she had said. I feared that the temptation of her fully unclothed would snap my control.

The second she realized what she had done, she went absolutely still. "Edward?"

"Don't move," I said hoarsely, watching the dance of light and shadow move over her skin. "You are so beautiful."

My hand extended, and with just the tip of a finger, I traced the lights of flickering flames along the curve of her breast. Her head fell to the side, her glorious hair tumbling over her shoulders. I circled the taut tip of her breast, eliciting a soft moan and a pulse within the confines of her shield.

It was extraordinary, almost as if she was all around me. She seemed so lost in my touch, unaware of what she was doing as she gave herself to me.

For the night, I had to ensure she remained that lost to all but me.

Unable to resist the need to feel more of her, I curved my fingers over her breast, which I teased earlier. A shuddering breath escaped her parted lips.

"Not fair," she whispered, her eyes were slow to open. It almost seemed as if her lids were too heavy to do so. Was that an affect of her desire for me? "It's supposed to be your turn."

I tested the softness, the weight of her, my fingers encompassed her breast, and she almost filled my hand.

"Do you want me to stop?" Watching the rise and fall of her chest, she replied with only a shake of her head. I brushed my palm over the peak, nearly crushing my teeth together as it tightened further beneath my skin.

How could two instincts be at so at war with each other? A part of me wanted to take what she offered to seek the ultimate conclusion, soft and slow as two first-time lovers should. Another part, one with the beast inside me, wanted to pull her in my arms, taste every inch of her, take and take some more, mark her, and claim her with a raging, clawing need.

Yet, instinctively, I knew that both reactions were innately human and _male_, not only driven by my vampire instincts. Something that likely arose with any man that loved a woman and wanted to possess her wholly.

There was too much separation between us. I needed her close, to touch more. I wanted to feel her hands on me as she imagined, and as she asked. My hand slipped from her breast with great reluctance, thumbing her pebbled skin once more, my fingers curved along her side and slid up her back, between her shoulder blades. She exhaled sharply when I pulled her closer, my other hand grasping her hip lightly.

"Slow," I murmured as I lay back against the sheets, her body following me down. From our limited prior experiences, I knew I had to keep my hands constantly moving to ensure I would not bruise her. With her exploring me at will, I knew my hands could easily break her.

However, I knew my desire was too much. I had to find something else for my hands to do. Straddling my thigh, she watched as I lifted my arms up and held on to the headboard.

A soft gasp pulled her lips to a devilish smile. Like the demon I once accused her of being, sent to torment with the call of her blood. As I watched her, I realized there was so much more to lure me in. She held me captivated since the moment I first saw her.

I would have laughed at the adorable look on her face, but I knew it would likely embarrass her. She appeared at a loss on where to start. As she caught an echo of my thoughts, she scowled lightly at me.

Biting her lip, she moved off my thigh, unaware to the loss I felt. The warmth between her thighs was like fire to my cool skin, even with the barrier of my pants between us. I wanted to feel more of it, of her, _everywhere. _

She knelt beside me, bare to my perusal, making it that much harder to keep my hands off her. I wanted her to have this, to touch me and prepare me for what was to come. It was pleasant to see that she did not try to cover herself, allowing me to look at her without apprehension. She was lovely, all cream and soft pink skin, dark eyes and hair that made her nearly glow in the candlelight.

Her hands did not start at my chest, where her gaze seemed riveted. Instead, she cradled my face in her hands, bending to kiss me. A silk curtain of her hair brushed along my ears and jaw, firing all those nerve endings. She pressed her lips over each eye, skimmed them across my forehead. I nearly came off the bed at the feel of her teeth raking along my jaw.

"Bella," I gasped, my fingers clenching into the paltry wood headboard. There had been some indication from what I have witnessed between my family members that biting made their mating even more primal. I had never understood until I shuddered under the bite of her teeth.

"Too much?" she asked, continuing licking and trailing hot open-mouthed kisses along my jaw. At my ear, she asked again, "Too much?"

I groaned at the feel of her lips at such a sensitive area. Not only did I feel the warmth of her lips and breath, but the vibration of her words. It took a considerable moment for me to determine if her teeth on me was too much.

I swallowed and answered, "Keep going, but no teeth."

"Something to look forward to, then," she moaned softly and continued an exquisitely torturous trek along my neck, her tongue flicking over my Adam's apple, eliciting a potent growl. Her words along with her actions had my imagination run wild of what it could be like after her change.

She stilled as the headboard finally snapped beneath my grasp. "Do not stop." It was a desperate plea and she answered it with a light sucking that drove my hips to move.

I had no idea it could be like this. There had been some fear that because she and I were different that it could not feel as good as it did with the vampire couples in my family. We could not have been more wrong. I should have known that her touch would inflame me.

"Will you miss the warmth?"

I knew she had read the tenor of my thoughts, since they were so strong even in my own mind.

"No," I murmured, trying to keep from moaning again at the feel of her tongue along my shoulder. "Even at a cooler temperature, your touch would feel like fire." She hummed, driving me insane with the need to touch her.

There was a peculiar sensation coming from my hands. It took a moment to figure out that my hands itched to run along her back as she continued her quest to brand me everywhere with her lips. A sensation I had not felt once in over eighty years. A harsh moan left her lips, no doubt seeing the images my thoughts created. Slowly, to give me time to prepare, she slipped a thigh over my abdomen, straddling me.

My eyes rolled back, feeling her arousal and heat between her thighs. She cried out as my mind continued to conjure images of my hands on her. I had to clench my jaw to keep from rolling my hips beneath her. Restraining myself was becoming harder to control. At that thought, Bella slowed, pulling her hips away enough to separate us. I growled at the loss, lamented as she had when I stopped touching her.

By now, if I had been human, I would have been sweating and desperate to achieve completion. Her silky thighs brushed along my sides as her lips pressed against my chest. Her hands continued testing my control with soft feather-like touches of her fingers, exploring my navel and stomach as my muscles clenched beneath her.

When her fingertips tested a strip of my skin along the waistband of my sleep pants, I nearly bucked my hips toward her questing fingers. How I kept them still was a testament on how much I wanted to feel her touch me there. From her thoughts, I could see her head lifted to meet my eyes, but I struggled to open mine. It was indeed desire that caused such heaviness over my eyelids.

I could see the questions in her gaze and thoughts, nodding that she could proceed. She doubted my control, sensing how close I was to the edge. I shook my head, in the hopes to reassure her. She nodded, swallowing once as she shifted to settle between my thighs. I fought the urge to plead for her to hurry.

Her fingers dipped beneath the fabric, pulling them down until she met resistance. I lifted my hips to help and watched her reaction. Though we showered together, we had been too shy to look at each other completely, only touching all the safe areas, too scared to explore further. Now she had no reason to stop as she tossed aside my pants. I groaned at the first touch of her palms on my thighs.

"You have such a beautiful body," she murmured, continuing as her hands moved higher, "—sculpted to perfection." Again, my eyes rolled closed, unable to keep from crying out a feel of her touch. Suddenly, I felt the wet warmth of her lips along where my artery would have been.

"No, Bella!" I growled, my hands finding purchase in the wall behind the suddenly disseminated headboard. She stilled as I snapped my eyes to hers. They closed as she concentrated on her shield, keeping me from her thoughts. "You cannot put your mouth on me _there_."

She had to understand, because with a buck of my hips, I could kill her. Her eyes slowly opened to find a pressure on my body I had only felt when she pushed me away with her shield.

"I won't do that," she whispered, watching me as the pressure continued to build. "As you can see, I can restrain you."

I nodded and said, "When you concentrate, but when you cannot, that second when it stops, I could kill you."

"All right," she said, biting her lip. "I can't take you in my mouth."

I groaned at the image that she suddenly filled my mind with, of her doing that. "You do not play fair, Bella."

She smiled and blushed. "Sorry, I can't seem to help my over active imagination."

I groaned again. "Neither can I. Slow," I reminded her, watching her palms start to move again, "With your hands."

She nodded and looked to where we connected. The progression of her hands was tremendously frustrating, a torture on my conflicting thoughts. I wanted her touch around me, on me, stroking me. I was, however, nervous that I would not be able to control myself at that first touch. Though she held my hips down with her gift, I knew that it was tenuous.

"Maddening," I whispered. "How can something that feels so good, be maddening?"

"Because you want more," she replied just before she touched me where I wanted her most.

"Bella!"

At first, her hold was tentative, as if she was wrapping my erection in warm silk. I was no longer in control of the sounds that built up in my chest and erupted in a litany of growls, purrs, and groans. When her hand tightened around me after a few strokes, I was nearly at the inevitable edge. At the next upstroke, I cried out as her thumb brushed along the tip.

Her answering moan and scent of her increasing arousal was my breaking point. Had she not held me down, I would have rocketed off the bed to protect her. Instead, my whole body tensed against the onslaught of sensations that seemed to ignite every ounce of venom and molecule inside me. I shook beneath her touch as I continued to fall into my slice of heaven on Earth.

I had no idea how much time before the ecstasy was at a tolerable level, but Bella was lying beside me, watching me carefully. Her eyes were wide, her head cushioned by a pillow and her hands.

"Are you okay?"

Still breathless, though I should not have felt the need to breathe, I nodded. I turned to my side to face her, feeling suddenly embarrassed by my reactions. She smiled at my thoughts, her own showing me how she felt as she watched me fall apart under her spell.

"You're still hard," she blurted out, her eyes bright, her skin flushing as she handed me a small hand towel.

After cleaning up, I smirked, cupping her hip and pulling her closer. "No recovery time needed."

"Oh," she said breathlessly. I smiled as I rolled over her. She looked up at me in confusion as I bent to kiss her.

"Your turn."

* * *

**AN: Betaed by kyla713. I know some of you want them to do it before she's changed, but as you can see, he's having a hard time. I hope you understand. Hey, its Bella's turn next. You're all probably wondering about Jacob, yeah, we'll see him soon enough. **


	37. For Her

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Six—For Her**

* * *

There are moments in my existence that I'd wished I could change the way that time moved. Though I remembered little of my human life, I had wanted to skip to my next birthday so that I would be able to enlist and serve my country during its time of war.

Another moment, in which I wished time to move faster, was during my transformation. The fiery, agonizing pain I endured to become what I was, seemed infinitely longer than the three days it had been. There was also that first day in Biology when a certain girl walked in, with the most desirable blood flowing within her. How I wanted the bell to ring not only to save her, but myself.

Life would have been so different if I had surrendered to my thirst that day. Had I done the unthinkable, I felt certain that I would not have been able to live with her life on my conscience. And if Alice had known then what Bella would come to mean to me, I had no doubt that I would have sought peace in the oblivion of death.

As I watched her eyes widen, her face flush with color, and her lips part with my name tumbling forth, it was a night that I wished time would slow. She was healthy, warm, and pleasantly soft beneath my touch. I did not lie when I said I would not miss her warmth; it was something I could live without since I would still have her.

It was the beat of her heart that I would miss the most when she became like me. The sound was the inspiration of her lullaby. The beat to which I moved to when I was with her. The rhythm called me forth, allowed me to determine her moods and feelings. The way it sped when I touched her, alerting me of what she found pleasure in. When it slowed, I knew she felt comforted and safe with me. Its heartbreaking speed had me searching for danger.

It was soothing to hear, and I would miss it.

Her hands cradled my face, and I felt the words she whispered against my skin. "I love you."

My body shook, my lips parting to accommodate the perfect fit of her mouth against mine. Her warm, smooth legs slid along my calves, as I explored her mouth, eliciting a shiver when I swept my tongue over her teeth.

I wanted to feel and touch more, but I kept an inch of space between us. I had hoped that it would quell my desire, but the tips of her breasts grazed my chest as they had earlier made that impossible. There was a powerful urge inside me to taste them and to test the feel of them against my lips. Her hips lifted beneath mine, bringing her that much closer to me.

I gasped as I pulled away from the allure of her tempting mouth. Her lashes fluttered several times until her eyes opened to meet mine. She was panting, flushed and irresistible, I had to go back for more. I captured her next soft moan, unable to rein in one of my own. I found the taste of her desire to be potent and decadent, feeding my thirst for her. Another kind of hunger that I only had recently found existed inside me. It was because of her.

I captured one of her delicate hands, pulling it free from my hair. If she continued to tug and pull at it, I was afraid that my control would unravel further. The paltry pain it elicited, combined with the pleasure of her touch seemed to enhance the entire experience to another level. With a look and placing her hand over her head, I reminded her of my earlier stipulation.

She simply could not touch me.

I softened the reminder with another longer, deeper kiss that had her hips lifting to meet mine again. I growled softly, placing a restraining hand on the curve of her backside. She stilled, blushing.

"Temptress," I whispered in my thoughts.

A smile started at one corner of her mouth, until it was wide and enchanting. My eyes roamed over her features, from the dark color of her eyes and brows, to the soft and perfect curve of her lips. "You are so beautiful."

Her lashes closed and opened in a wide-eyed astonished, slow blink. She might believe that I found her as beguiling as I claimed, thanks to her ability to read my thoughts, but it would still take time for her to come to terms with it.

I promised myself, not a day would go by that I would not tell her how I much I loved her and how beautiful she was to me.

Her smile softened, her free hand fell from my hair, and her fingers traced my lips. "Thank you, and so are you, my husband."

I groaned at hearing those wonderful words from her, bending to kiss her again. Her hand fell away from my face and joined the other, as she intertwined her fingers together above her head. I pulled away long enough to look at her, something akin to lust and burning desire ignited at the sight of her prone figure read for me to explore at will. Her head fell back, eyes closing as her neck arched, the tips of my fingers tracking down the graceful length.

Unable to resist any longer, I tasted the skin above her thudding pulse, moaning at the delicacy of her. My lips continued down the length of her neck, away from the temptation of her blood that flowed steadily. She kept her hands immobile above her head, but her legs continued to move along mine. She tried to align our hips with the simple shifts, but I kept her from doing so by applying a little more weight on her.

She moaned and gasped at the cool feel of my abdomen between her thighs, her thoughts were chaos as she tried to focus on not making it harder for me but the sensations from my touch made it impossible. At that point, I feared that it was futile, too. The only thing that I could focus on was to bring her pleasure as she had me.

"Please, please."

I groaned as the whispered plea and skimmed my mouth and tongue along her chest, at the precise, soft place as it turned into a slope. My eyes remained on her face to watch her reactions, watching the slight tremble of her chin. Looking higher, I saw the way her hands and fingers twisted. I growled at the thought of them on me again.

As the elicit memory ran through my thoughts, Bella moaned and lifted her body off the bed in need for more of my touch. Along with her whispered pleas was my name, a chant of desire and love. I memorized the litany and prayed internally that I would hear it again, while I was inside her.

Open to my thoughts, Bella cried out at the last one and arched off the bed again. My lips moved then, barely brushing her small, pebbled peak. A shuddering breath escaped her as she fell back against the mattress now that I had given her what she so desperately wanted.

My eyes rolled back at the feel and taste of her, exquisite and delicate, and she was at the mercy of my control. Love for her had a tighter rein over my beast, and instead of baring my teeth as another part of me desired to, I covered them with my lips. Even with the barrier, I could taste the tender, flushed skin.

My body shook with my desire, as my tongue moved slowly over the tiny peak. A drawn out moan accompanied the faster beat of her heart, her hips twisting from one side to the other beneath me. My fingers found purchase in the remnants of the headboard, bringing our bodies closer. My hips fell just beneath hers and onto the mattress, unable to trust myself for anything more.

Gouging the tips of my fingers into the headboard, I continued my quest to bring my beloved mindless pleasure. I teased her, caressing the underside of her breast with my lips and nose. "Edward," she gasped as I brushed my mouth along the side where she seemed extra sensitive. Determined to touch every inch of softness with my lips, I followed the top curve to her other breast, giving it the same attention as the first.

Undulating, her hips continued to move against me, and try as I might, I could not keep my own from doing the same against the bed. My hands tightened in the headboard as the desperation for more almost shattered my control. I felt the heat emanating off her as it increased the closer she came to completion. The beat of her heart sped, skipping occasionally as she gasped for breath.

Needlessly breathless, I pulled away, to watch her body move beneath mine. Why had I thought that my desire for her would curb after my release, was beyond me. I wanted nothing more but to give into our mutual desire, to slip inside her and find completion. Her eyes slowly lifted to watch me, pleading for something. The twist of her fingers and arms alerted me of her desperation to touch me. I gasped her name and nodded.

She cupped my face, tugged deliciously at the hair at the nape my neck, and felt the tip of a finger brush my ear. I groaned, wanting to feel those magical, warm fingers moving over me. My mouth parted as I shuddered with realization that I had moved, my body stilling over her, my erection poised at her entrance.

I shook my head, seeing my fear reflected in her dark eyes. Bringing me back from the edge of remorse that I had almost given in and taken from her what I knew her body could not yet handle. The headboard lay in shreds under my hands, the wall behind that appeared like battered plaster and wood.

I simply could not control myself without full concentration, and my desire shattered that.

"It's okay," she whispered. "It's alright, Edward. You stopped." I nodded and she lifted herself to kiss my lips gently.

Her kiss, her soft words and tender touch served its purpose, allowing me to bring my desire under control by small increments. Minutes passed and without words, her hands continued slowly to caress my hair, neck, and shoulders, reminding me to go slow.

When I finally reached her tender nipple again, we had returned to an agonizing level of desire. I tempered it with the memory of how close I had become to losing my tentative grasp on my control. Her fingers tightened in my hair, her hips lifting to bring the warm part of her higher, seeking friction against me.

Slowly, my fingers skimmed along her skin, always moving to prevent bruising. Another shuddering breathless whisper of my name tumbled from her lips as I brushed my cooler thumb over her peak. She gasped and writhed beneath me. My fingers continued to move over the top of her breast, and along the sensitive underside. It was when my cool fingers circled her nipple that I knew she was getting close again.

I continued to tease a peak with my lips and the other between two fingers, my free hand swept down her side, feeling the muscles tense beneath my touch. She tried not to laugh when I teased her navel, but I felt and heard the tiny giggle. I laughed but it turned to a groan when she enjoyed the feel of the vibrations around her sweet nipple.

"Edward," she gasped, her fingers curling around the back of my neck and trying to bring me closer.

I groaned again and continued to taste and tease her. My questing hand continued down the small slope of her stomach and traced the lines of her hips until they met in the middle. The softness and heat of her between her thighs surprised me. She was incredibly hot. Bella whimpered at the first touch at the center of her. My touch was featherlike, testing to ensure I would not hurt her. Warm and slick from her arousal, I ran a finger from top to bottom and back again, paying careful attention to her reactions.

I wanted to feel her breathless responses against my face, ear, and lips, kissing her mouth as I took a step further. As my thumb rubbed along the top of her, two of my fingers moved further down. She gasped and moaned the most when I teased her entrance. Continuing to kiss along her neck, I pulled back enough to watch as my fingers moved over her.

How I did not expire at the sight, I would question for years to come.

Her stomach muscles quivered as my thumb continued to circle, just under the tiny strip of dark, trimmed hair. The rest of my hand cupped her gently, and I watched just the tip of my middle finger slip inside her.

I looked at her face then, as her eyes rolled back and fell closed as she gasped with pleasure. My name was once again an unforgettable breathless chant on her lips. My eyes moved over her, from the tempting parting of her lips, the thudding pulse on her neck, the pebbled peaks of her breasts, to the trembling muscles along her stomach and down to the inviting fall of her thighs, showing me the most intimate part of her.

My mind processing all terms and names for it and yet the only one that fell from my lips was, "Mine." No one else would touch her like this; only her friend, lover, mate, and husband—me. I would be the only one to ever share this intimate pose, and see this beautiful side of her.

"Edward!" she cried out as my thumb moved faster and little harder against her. She was wonderfully warm, tight around the tip of my finger. I knew then that I was the first to explore her like this. She had not even done so. I moved a little deeper, careful to keep from going too far, not wanting to cause her unnecessary pain on this night.

I kept my other fingers moving, careful not to linger too long, except for my thumb. She bucked her hips, asking for more. I bent to tease a nipple with my lips and tongue, sensing she was near. With brush of my thumb, a small growl around her peak and another inch inside and she came on her next breath.

Her body froze for a moment and then seemed to quake beyond her control. Though I kept my eyes on her, all the candles throughout the room brightened briefly before they extinguished at once, her gifts manifesting. Watching her at that moment was an experience I wanted to see again; she was extraordinarily beautiful when she gave into ecstasy.

Minutes passed and under the guise of the darkness, Bella blushed from the roots of her hair, down to her cute little toes. At her next normal inhale of air, she clung to me, flushed and exhausted.

I kissed the top of her head, reluctantly removing my fingers from her. She shuddered, feeling oversensitive all over. I could not help the smile that graced my features, quite honestly, feeling self-satisfied that _I _had given her such pleasure. Her arms enclosed around me, her lips skimming my shoulder as I held her close.

"I love you," she whispered, yawning, but smiling up at me. Brushing some of her hair from her face, I kissed the tip of her nose.

"Get some sleep, love." She nodded and cuddled up against me, once again yawning. "I love you, Bella."

She sighed as her eyes closed. Slow and steady, her breaths and heart rate returned to normal. As I continued to hold her, I wondered how I would survive the night with her in my arms, her softness pressed against me, knowing exactly what pleasures awaited us when she awakened.

* * *

**AN: betaed by kyla713**


	38. In the Light of Day

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven—In the Light of Day**

* * *

Hours passed like decades as I watched her sleep. Half a dozen times, I had to leave the comfort of her arms, finding it too hard to lie beside her. All that softness and warmth pressed against me, was simply too much to bear when I knew what pleasure I could give her and receive in return.

I shook my head, sitting at the foot of the bed. How did my family stop wanting to touch and kiss for a single hour of the day? They did not need the time to recover. There was no need to rest. I had never understood at the time the need they seemed to have for each other at the end of the day.

Watching her at that moment, I understood that potent desire. To be with the one you love in such a way, giving and receiving such exquisite pleasure. We had yet to experience lovemaking and I could only imagine what it would be like.

I rubbed my lips, still able to taste her there but it was dissipating. Throughout the hours as she slept, I had repeatedly licked my mouth, unable to resist rediscovering her essence there. Eventually, I had to resist that need and ration the taste of her until she woke up in the light of day. The potent need for her seemed beyond the normal scopes I had observed in other human relationships. I had yet to wash my hands, wanting to revel in her scent and taste for a while longer. Would it always be like this?

I watched as her chest rose and fell under the blanket that kept her modestly covered, but just barely. I could see the outline of her breasts, as soft and beguiling as the rest of her. A shoulder, the one I discovered a little trinity of freckles, sampled them with my lips the night before, tempted me from where I sat. The length of her neck was also exposed, and regardless of how many times I covered her over again, she always pushed the covers back down. As if to taunt me, but I knew it was how she slept.

Sensing the rising speed of her heartbeat, I knew she would awaken soon. I rose to my feet beside the bed and tended to the fire I kept lit while she slept. The chill in the air did not affect me, but would be too cold for Bella. After washing in the bathroom, I went to the tiny kitchen and started to prepare a cup of hot cocoa. All this had only taken a few seconds.

We would have to leave soon. After going through what food we had on hand earlier, most of the items had expired. There was not enough left to hold her over to the following morning, her last day as a human. I also had to listen to our voicemail messages since the cell phone signal was non-existent on the mountain. Carlisle was due to check in before their departure from Forks. In all likelihood, Charlie and Renee would have called, too.

I heard a soft moan from Bella, causing my fingers to clench around the mug I had in my hand. The sound tormented me from the first time I heard it. "Maddening," I whispered. The mug was now shards of broken ceramic. It shattered instantly in my tight grip. I muttered a curse just as Bella started in surprise, the noise alarming her.

"Edward, where are you?"

I ran to her side, placing a soothing hand on her cheek and another over her racing heart. "I am here, Bella."

"Wha-what was that?" she asked, adorably confused and still fighting her slumber.

"I broke a cup."

Her brow furrowed, her lips twisting in confusion as her eyes opened fully. "_You _broke a cup."

Averting my eyes, I shook my head and gave her a wary smile. "I was not concentrating at the time, had forgotten I was holding it when I heard you stir."

She could see no deception in my eyes and as her mind probed my thoughts far too easily, she saw the truth in my words and the cause. A tempting flush filled her features as her teeth attacked her lip in embarrassment and arousal.

She liked that she had this affect on me.

"Good morning," she whispered, smiling up at me. Her hand rested on my chest, her grin disappearing. "You're wearing a shirt."

Confused by her statement, I nodded. "I am. Is there something the matter?"

Her nose scrunched in distaste, as she seemed to choose her words carefully. "You're overdressed." She sighed, running a hand through her messy hair.

I cocked an eyebrow at her bold admission. Though she had stood up to me that day in the cafeteria, this seemed unlike her. However, I liked it. She laughed suddenly, blushing further. Her hand fisted in my shirt and she pulled me forward. Smiling down at her, I pressed a kiss to her lips.

After a few seconds, I noticed her tense. I pulled back enough to see her flush again. "What is it?"

"I need a few human minutes."

I kissed her forehead and rose to my feet. "I'll start some breakfast as you do that."

Her hands swept across the bed, finding it warmer than usual, confused again. "You didn't stay with me."

I sighed, holding one of her hands in mine. "It was hard for me to stay close too you." At her silent look, I added. "No pun intended."

Her lips twisted into another smile. "Are you saying that you had trouble remaining the ever present gentleman?"

I growled and tugged her to her feet, capturing her gasp with my lips. Her moan was soft, and long as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Gasping, we pulled apart for her to breathe. "I thought I proved that I was not always a gentleman last night."

"Oh, yes," she said, eliminating the minute space between us. "I think I was afraid you'd revert to your old ways in the morning."

I dropped my forehead on her shoulder and skimmed a hand down her bare back, settling low, the tips of my fingers brushing her backside.

"If you only knew the thoughts I had while you slept," I whispered, peppering kisses along her shoulder. She hummed as I continued, sweeping my tongue along the top of where she held a sheet. "I considered waking you like this, kissing you everywhere until you whispered my name, as you fisted the sheets in your fingers."

"Edward," she gasped.

"Just like that," I groaned and lifted my mouth to hers for another kiss. Unfortunately, her stomach protested about the lack of food. "First, I should feed you."

She sighed, pouting as she looked at me. "If you insist."

"I do," I said, patting her bottom softly.

Giving me a cheeky grin, she laughed. "I'll go but only if you promise that we can start from where we left off soon."

"I promise." I pressed a kiss on her forehead, since it seemed safer. I knew if I indulged in another kiss that we would not come up for air for a while.

She turned and almost stumbled due to the sheet near her feet. "Easy there." I offered her a hand, kneeling and smoothing my palm over her legs as I untangled her. She sighed at the touch and shook her head, looking back at the bed.

I stepped away before I gave in and watched her take a few tentative steps. After another misstep, she growled and dropped the sheet. I gasped, unprepared to see her fully naked again as desire struck me anew. She seemed unaware of my moral dilemma and strode to the bathroom quickly.

I exhaled sharply the moment she was out of my line of vision. "She's too lovely for her own good," I hissed under my breath, suddenly feeling overheated despite the impossibility of it. I started on the task I set out to do after another brief moment to gather myself.

As she turned on bathroom sink faucet, giving it time to warm, she called out to me. I dropped my chin to my chest and took a fortifying breath in the hopes to bring myself under control. "I will be right there," I said loud enough for her to hear.

"I just need something to wear," she murmured. Placing her hot chocolate on the table, I rummaged through my bag and found a nice thermal shirt in blue that she would look lovely in, and grabbed another pair of boxers. I knocked on the door, handing her the clothing. She noted that they were much like the ones from the night before and smiled.

I intended to keep my promise to her as soon as she finished some breakfast.

There was a topic of discussion we needed to have soon. The issue at hand would need to be resolved by the end of the day. I would not risk her blood out in the open with Jasper or Alice nearby. There was still the risk that it may not work and we needed to find a solution if need be.

"What has that brilliant mind of yours so chaotic?" Bella asked from behind me, taking a seat at the head of the table. I turned and felt guilty for not pulling out her chair. I was taught to treat women better than that.

"There is something we should discuss."

Bella nodded, taking a sip from the broth I warmed up and one from her drink. "What happened to all the candles?"

"They were spent, so I removed and threw them away." She seemed confused and I clarified. "Your shield last night made them all flare up until they were wasted."

Her eyes widened. "I could've started a fire."

I took her hand in mine and kissed her fingers. "First, it is not your fault. Second, if you had started a fire, I would have prevented it from spreading easily. There was nothing to worry about."

She sighed, watching as I continued to press kisses, moving to her palm. I loved her hands, such delicate, long fingers.

"How did you manage to concentrate on keeping an eye on that while we were…" she trailed off, unable to continue without blushing.

"It was far from easy," I sighed, pulling her from her chair and onto my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck as my hand swept up and down her leg. "We should go down the mountain and into town. There is a small general store there that we could pick up some more groceries."

"I don't see why we need much more. We're doing it tomorrow, right?"

I nodded, curving my hand over her hips. "I think you should indulge a little today," I said warily. "It will, in essence, be the last time you eat human food. No more chocolate," I eyed her disappearing drink, laughing when she scowled, "Or nuts or fruits. We can have a good lunch or dinner there, if you would like. There is not much we can do here since there is only the hot plate, but I am sure I could cook something up."

"This is important to you, isn't it?"

"Yes, I know it seems somewhat ridiculous, but there are things I wished I was able to experience one last time as a human before my change."

She sighed. "I will eat a nice lunch or dinner in town. But we're only bringing back liquids." Confused, I pulled back to look in her eyes. "It's safe to say that I would likely get_ sick_ once the change starts."

"You are right," I murmured. "It was good that you thought of that. There are a few things we should take care of before your change." It was a good time to bring up the unsettling subject. "Since you are temptingly smooth already, you should be fine with grooming."

Her eyes widened. "Why?"

Uncomfortable, I answered her question. "We remain frozen in our forms at the time of our death. But in death, hair does grow, but for some reason, it will not grow any longer than the length you had during your transformation. Take Emmett for instance, he had a beard and to this day must shave every day with two diamond-tipped blades, because the hair is that strong, but by the following morning it's grown back."

"So that's why Alice's hair is short."

I nodded. "When she was transformed, she had been at the asylum for a few months, at a time where they shaved their heads completely."

"Good to know," she said, biting her lip. "I think it'll be good to buy a razor in town." I nodded, though I was not sure why she needed it. "What else?"

"I love your hair," I whispered, running my fingers through it. "If you want it to cut it, it would be best to do now."

"I thought you can cut it with diamond tipped blades like Emmett, only scissors."

"Yes, but it is extremely difficult since it takes several very expensive pairs of shears for just a trim, the scissors only last through two snips. Which is why Rosalie only tried it once, but the mistake was corrected by the following day. Considering the amount of work involved, and how long the affect lasted, it does not seem worth the trouble."

In my mind, I thought of the day Rosalie had Emmett make the attempt while Jasper and Alice had taken a vacation on their own decades earlier. She did not have access to Alice's gift to know that it would fail. He could not seem to cut a straight line and had left very jagged edges. She was less than pleased with the results and he had spent over a week in what he always called the "dog house."

"Makes sense, I guess," she said, finishing the last of her broth.

She shifted to face me, eliciting a hiss from me. Her body pressed against mine, her legs on each side of my hips. My hands lifted, brushing from her face and cradling it in them. "Bella," I gasped as she adjusted herself, sitting a little higher above me.

"Tell me what's bothering you," she whispered, bending to press her lips along the edge of my jaw.

"We…" How could I answer a question when she consumed all my senses?

"We need to talk about…" I groaned when her mouth sucked in my earlobe. "No teeth, Bella," I reminded her. My hands moved from her face and smoothed down her back. My breath shuddered along with the rest of me.

She pulled back, but kept her arms draped over my shoulders. Her eyes were bright and wide, beautiful, as always. "Well?"

How was she able to pull back so easily?

"It's not easy, but your mind seems to be dwelling on this thing you have to tell me. You're also keeping it from me."

"I apologize. It's a sensitive subject and one you might find uncomfortable."

"As uncomfortable as my grooming habits?" she asked. When I nodded she added, "I'm listening."

"As I explained about hair and how our bodies are essentially frozen from the onset of our transformation, it is safe to say that _you_ would remain_ intact_."

Her eyes widened in understanding, her brow wrinkling. "Oh."

"That said, I believe that it would break our first time together, after your change," I said softly, rubbing her hip and wishing her eyes did not tear up as I continued. "However, in the same way hair grows back, so would your maidenhead, in theory."

"And that means it would hurt each and every time," she whispered.

"Yes, I believe that it is likely."

"But you have a solution?"

I swept a hand up her back again, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. "We can try to break it now," she tensed, but I continued, "With my fingers, but your gift may be a problem."

"I'd have to fight it."

"Yes."

For a couple of minutes, she said nothing, resting her head on the crook of my neck. Her breath was steady against my skin. "I think I can do it," she said, sitting up to look at me.

"Your shield was active last night."

"Yes, but it expelled energy outward, that's why the bed's frame broke," she said, blushing.

It was true, as she held back from touching me; her shield expended the energy and sent cracks throughout the wooden frame of the bed. My hands and strength had taken care of the rest. We both looked behind her toward the bed, noticing it was in shambles. The headboard, once a solid length of oak wood was broken into two jagged pieces.

"You noticed that."

She nodded. "That would explain the candles, too."

She was right, of course. "Why do you believe that it reacted like that?"

She kept her eyes on the bed, her fingers playing with my hair on the back of my neck. It kept my arousal on the edge, and on something else besides the conversation.

"You and your touch kept me distracted, by making me concentrate on your actions while not putting my hands on you."

"So you believe that if I kept you—" I cupped the back of her neck with one hand, the other pulling her hips over mine. She moaned softly, her head falling back. "—busy, your body will overlook the need to heal."

Her head fell forward; her hands lay gently on my chest. "I think so."

I kissed her then, testing the fit of her top lip between mine. She gasped and swept her tongue along the seam of my mouth. A breathtaking, heart-stopping kiss later, she pulled back enough to ask, "Do you want to test our theory?"

One of my hands stopped on the inside of her left thigh, just below the junction between leg and hip. Her breath hitched as I pressed a few fingers between her thighs. "Yes." She felt incredible.

Her head fell back again, the tips of her dark hair skimming the surface of the table. I wanted to see it spread across the sheets, beneath us. I had her in my arms and on the bed within a second. Her breathy response was a soft laugh, her fingers running through my hair. It was something she did just before she knew she would have to stop touching me.

I sat up enough to pull my shirt over my head with one hand, she watched as I moved. Her eyes were on me, and a soft smile was on her lips. There was tinge of fear in her thoughts, but the idea of the pleasure that was in store for us ahead, seemed to dim it. Before I shifted to lay over her, her knees parted to accommodate the width of my hips.

I groaned at that first feel of her against me. She hummed and closed her eyes, her fingers already reaching for the sheets when a thought ran through her mind. I wanted to follow through on her fantasy. She sensed my stillness and looked up at me.

"It might make things easier for us both," I whispered, watching several emotions flash across her eyes.

She nodded and once again, I had her in my arms and across the room in a second. I sat her on the small bathroom counter and the water on in the shower by the time she took her next breath. She smiled at me when I looked over my shoulder sheepishly.

"I like this side of you," she whispered. "And no, I don't think you're being selfish for wanting some pleasure, too."

I sighed in relief and helped her out of her clothes. "It was a very long night."

"It was barely six hours."

"Six minutes after you fell asleep it had already become unbearable."

She slipped her hands down my chest slowly, and beneath the waistband of my sleep pants. I groaned at the feel of her, skin to skin. My pants pooled at my feet and I kicked them away. I stepped between her thighs, but kept some space between us, since there was only so much I could handle.

"I love you," I whispered, cupping her face. "I wish I did not have to hurt you."

"I know."

Five minutes later, we were under the shower spray, sufficiently clean as we washed each other. She joked that we should probably shower like that every time. However, my response was lost as her fingers wrapped around me.

"Bella," I groaned as I placed my hands on the tiled wall behind her. Her eyes met mine as she bit her lip, a corner lifting after another moment.

"_Touch me," _her mind whispered. She had little knowledge how erotic the touch of her mind was to me. "Look at your fingers and the tile." I did as she asked, finding it hard to believe that I had not destroyed the tile beneath my hands. "You're doing fine. Let's try to do this together."

Another groan rumbled in my chest, tumbling forth in a chant of her name. I kept one of my hands on the wall but slipped the other down the front of her neck, slowly descending until I cupped her breast. Her grip tightened when I tasted a sweet peak. My hand moved further down, brushing along her side with a feather like touch that seemed to drive her crazy.

My fingers pressed between her thighs, teasing her until she was breathless and moving her hips in tandem with the slide of her hand. My knees shook as ecstasy tightened something in my stomach, so I widened my stance and lifted my mouth to hers. I had to feel the tremble of her lips against my own.

"Open your mind for me, love," I whispered. The desire to ensure her as little pain as possible was forefront on my mind, her hands on me a very close second.

"Okay," she replied breathlessly. "I…more, please."

I complied with a gentle twist of my fingers, pressing against her center and slipped one just inside her. Her head fell back against the tile, a sound that seemed a combination of a gasp and a moan emitted from her. Her hand stilled on me, but only for a second, long enough for me to pull another breath in. It was best for me not to breathe deeply at that moment I broke through the thin barrier since I was unsure of how I would react with both of my deepest desires were tested at the same time. From the telltale beat of her heart, her near breathless sounds, I knew she was too close. I kissed her soft lips that beckoned me with their tempting part and slight quiver. At that precise moment, I broke through, gouging my fingers of my free hand into the tile as the scent of her blood tinged the air, the bite of her nails of her hand at my lower back and the tight grip of her other on me. I stilled, not wanting to hurt her further and though I smelled the salt of her tears, they did not last long enough for them to fall. Several moments passed, before she slid her hand over me again. "I'm okay," she whispered. "Please, Edward."

In response, I drove my finger in deeper slowly, pressing my thumb over her gently. The next slide of her hand had my teeth nearly tearing into my lip, her palm moving over the tip, forcing another moan from me. Soon, we found a rhythm and several minutes later, she fell apart against me. My finger slipped out and kissed her gently, allowing the water to wash away her blood.

Her hand had stopped again, and as she looked up at me, still panting, she took my free hand and slipped it over hers. Eye to eye, together we brought me to an earth shattering release within a few moments.

I held her as the water overhead started to cool, the water heater insufficient for long showers. Gathering her in my arms, I stepped out of the shower, turning off the water and helping her dry off. She shivered beneath my touch.

"I'm trying not to use my powers," she said through chattering teeth. "It's gotten colder since we came in here." In fact, almost an hour had passed, and with no one to tend to the fire in the living area, it died.

"Come on," I said, bundling her up in my shirt and boxers again. "Let's get you warmed up under the blankets. In a few hours, we will go into town."

As I restarted the fire, she watched me from beneath several blankets. I was unable to hear her thoughts since we successfully accomplished what we set out to do. In her attempt to prevent her body from healing her, she stopped using all her powers.

"Edward," she whispered. I turned to meet her eyes. "I think it worked. I don't sense my power's need to heal me anymore."

"Are you sore?"

"Not really."

My eyes roamed the length of her, even under layers of fabric, I could make out her tempting curves. "We should probably check to be sure." Did I just say that?

She laughed. "In that case, come to bed, husband." We had a few hours before we had to leave. There was no denying her, anyway. The following day would come soon enough, until then I would revel in her warmth and love.


	39. In Town

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight—In Town**

* * *

"That was awkward," Bella said from the passenger seat of my car.

After spending a couple of hours in bed, I did a perimeter check around the cabin to assure myself that we were alone. I had spent too much time preoccupied with Bella, as it should be, but had left ourselves vulnerable to attack from Jacob. I might have been able to intercept his thoughts from a few miles away, but I was far from concentrating at the time.

Thankfully, there were no signs of tracks, human or wolf nearby. I did not want to risk leaving Bella to make the call to Eleazar and Carmen, but I had to get farther down the mountain to do so. That left us with one other choice; to have her come with me.

The hike down was not as bitter cold as the night of our arrival. We were thankful for the reprieve of some sunlight. It was still not enough to keep Bella warm since, after placing the necessary call, it had taken Eleazar thirty minutes to meet us with my car. Her teeth were chattering by the time he arrived. After denying the need to go back to the cabin, she gave in to use her gift to get warm. It only took thirty seconds to reach the desired body temperature before we noticed the loss of life around us. Since then, she refused to use her gift again.

Through the entire duration of her and Eleazar's introduction, Bella felt as if she was a specimen under a microscope or inside of a cage for him to examine. Though his thoughts never confirmed or denied that was studying her, his keen stare was evidence enough.

"He kept his thoughts private," she whispered, looking at me. "How does someone do that if they're not a shield like me?"

"There are various ways. Alice recites ancient text in different languages. Emmett tries to concentrate on pop or rap music, which he knows I do not particularly enjoy. The others are much the same. Even then, it is not always easy from them to hide everything. I am guessing that Eleazar has learned how to rein in his thoughts since my reaction to his concerns about you."

"He was thinking of the ocean," she said, biting her lip as she thought of something else. "You only hear what the person is thinking at the time, right?"

"The foremost thought, yes, but often with others of my kind, who can think of more than one thing at a time, I can hear their other thoughts, too. However, images, like the ocean, seem harder to bypass."

She hummed, shaking her head. "That is a lot to grasp."

"Says the little human that can create a force field around herself," I mused.

After a few minutes of listening to the stereo, I started to hum along, leaving Bella to her thoughts. Since I insisted it was time for us to go into town, she had these short blocks of time where she seemed content to stare at something and just think.

Though she refrained from using her gifts, she did allow her shield to drop for my benefit. In her mind, she was replaying important memories of her life to share with me. She had done it for two reasons.

One, to share a part of her as human with me, moments she should treasure forever. The second was because I would keep her memories intact, and if her gift to piggyback my power remained after her transformation, she would simply read my mind to retain them.

"You are brilliant," I murmured, taking her hand in mine. "You were from the start."

"If I had been, I would've not walked away that day in the cafeteria," she said softly. "If I had tried to understand where you were coming from, maybe none of the bad stuff would've happened."

"Do you regret falling in love with me?" I knew the answer, but it was nice to hear it from her.

She looked at me, giving me a gentle smile. "Never. What I mean is that, if I had not walked away that afternoon, maybe I could've persuaded you to see me differently and convince you that we were meant to be."

I laughed, shaking my head before kissing her hand. "You would have undoubtedly succeeded in seducing me."

Her head fell back against the headrest, as she giggled, clasping her free hand over her mouth. "I don't think I'm capable of seduction, Edward."

"That is where you are wrong," I murmured, kissing her hand once again. "I assure you, you can and do." She blushed under my gaze. "See. Just being you, is enough for me to want to kiss you again."

"Keep driving, mister," she grumbled as her stomach did the same. "The broth hardly filled me."

I sighed since she was right, dropping her hand on her lap. "If we must," I whispered as pressed the accelerator. "We should be in town in a few minutes. It's a good thing there should be sufficient cloud cover for the next few hours."

"Edward," she whispered after a moment. "We are going to explore your theory on my seduction techniques later, right?"

I smirked, and said, "Of course, as long as I can do the same."

She nodded, pleased with my answer. She turned to look out the window and seemed content watching the scenery speed by. As we pulled into the tiny town approximately a hundred and twenty miles east of the cabin, a startling thought in her mind about the town disturbed Bella enough to cause her to shudder.

Before she had a chance to voice her them, I pulled alongside the curb near the post office, watching as a large 4x4 police SUV parked nearby. I needed her to calm down, before her shield felt it needed to protect her. Turning toward Bella, I took her hands in mine.

"After you become like me, even if you did not know the way into town, your sense of smell would find it eventually. That is if you were able to escape me and the family." She nodded, her fingers tightening around mine. "I will do everything I can to prevent the loss of human life by your hands, Bella." I added, "Within reason." She knew what that meant that I would not destroy her.

Tears started to fill her eyes at the precise moment two men, including a Sheriff, chose to have a discussion near the building we parked nearby, a laundromat. Distracted by their conversation about the theft of a load of clothes from a dryer, I apologized to Bella.

"I am sorry," I said, wincing as I rubbed my temples. "After a day and a half in only your presence, the buzz of hundreds of inhabitants' thoughts takes some time to acclimate to again."

"It's okay," she said. "I closed my thoughts when I realized I expressed my fear to you. It was a lot to take in for me, too."

"I understand your fear. We will do what we can do protect you, even from yourself, my love."

She nodded and waited for me to help her out of the car. Taking her hand in mine, I led her toward the small general store for some food. She smiled as I opened the door for her and it felt good to know that I could do those types of things. It was how it should be; at least, it was how my parents raised me.

With a basket in my hand, Bella grabbed a few things. Soup, as she suggested earlier, various fruits and some tea. The store clerk behind the corner was an older man, who did not recognize us. That did not surprise me since the town only had two hundred sixty three people in it.

"You kids visiting with someone in town?" he asked, after looking out the window to see our fake New York license plate on my car. I was thankful for Jasper's insistence that I use it, since we wanted our trail to appear that it had gone cold in Anchorage.

"No, sir," I said, keeping my voice smooth and adding an accent to it. Bella cocked an eyebrow, sharing in her thoughts about how she could_ not_ pull that off. We offered him a smile, myself trying not to add too much teeth. "My wife wanted us to spend our honeymoon in front of roaring fire."

I winked and earned a laugh, as Bella struck my arm, her blush adding to my teasing tone.

The older man laughed. "Where you from?"

Before either of us could reply, the Sheriff walked in and called out to the store clerk as he passed us. "Afternoon, Will."

"Sheriff Peterson," he said, offering his hand for a handshake.

Bella and I continued to go through the shelves, the clerk's full attention on the Sheriff. She added chocolate and when I cocked any eyebrow, she scowled.

"It's one of life little pleasures," she whispered. "Just because I want to have some now doesn't mean I'll miss it."

I rolled my eyes and added some peanut butter cups, since I knew they were some of her favorites, making her smile again. As we continued to peruse the shelves, adding a bag of disposable razors to the basket, Bella kept me distracted from all the voices bombarding me. I pushed them back as much as I could until they were only a low hum in my head.

That was until the Sheriff's voice dipped into a low whisper. "Jeffery said someone stole a couple pairs of his jeans, thermals and a few shirts, straight out of the machine. You seen anyone you didn't recognize around here today?"

"We got them city kids from New York," I heard the store clerk say in reply. "They're newlyweds and don't look like no kids that need to steal clothes. Did you already talk to Thomas? Said someone gone in his house and stole all his food."

Apparently, Thomas lived alone on the outskirts of the tiny town. Bella stilled in the middle of the aisle beside me as comprehension and fear filled her thoughts.

"He's here."

I had the same thought and I was not going to take a chances. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket by the time she uttered the first syllable. "We need you here as quickly as possible," I said as Jasper answered.

"What's wrong? Has Bella gotten worse?"

"There are signs that Jacob has been in town." I kept my voice low, but talked fast. "Jasper, I can not leave her alone for even a second. I highly doubt he has any qualms about attacking in broad daylight."

"Or in front of others," he murmured, cursing, too.

"Exactly, we are in a no win situation here." I ran a hand through my hair, continuing after a moment. "How long until you reach us?"

The original plan was for Bella to spend her last night with me, alone. They were to stay with our cousins and in the early morning hours, they would arrive before I attempted to change her.

"We're about four hours away," he replied. "Alice says she can't see anything, but then again, she hasn't been able to for a while. It's been driving her crazy and the reason we left a few hours earlier than what we agreed on."

"And where's Carlisle?" I asked, following Bella as she slowly moved along the aisle so not to rouse the curiosity of the others in the store.

Alice and Jasper could not leave at the same time as Carlisle, since it may raise suspicions with authorities handling Bella and my missing person case.

"He should be arriving before morning," he answered. "Stay in town, and check in every thirty minutes. We'll get there as fast as we can."

I hung up and continued throughout the store, keeping my ear on the Sheriff and storeowner, Will. Bella seemed to understand that we could take our time, but whispered under her breath. "Can you pick him up at all?"

I shook my head, she knew the limitations of my ability, and that Jacob had to be at least three miles away. His mind had a distinct edge to his inner voice that I could pick up if within range. The problem was that Jacob could have already realized my limits and was waiting for the right moment to attack, perhaps when Bella was alone. He knew I would have to hunt eventually, which I had planned to do before I attempted to change Bella.

"We might be wrong," Bella offered, shrugging. "It could be a homeless man or drifter."

"Or another vampire," I stated grimly. "That does not make me feel better."

She nodded and indicated that she was finished. The Sheriff kept an eye on us as we made our way to the front to pay. Handing the store clerk our things, he asked us the same questions Will had.

"About where is this cabin you're staying at?"

I gave him a benign address that my cousins kept for deliveries and inquires. If he decided to check on us, he would find an empty cabin, with some signs of life. He seemed satisfied with my answer and asked that we be extra careful since a snowstorm was on the way in.

We left the store a few minutes later, loaded with a few bags. I was instantly on alert the moment we exited, testing my abilities to their fullest extent for any sign of Jacob. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found nothing out of the ordinary. Not even his scent.

"He could've masked it," Bella whispered.

I did not think it was possible, considering that their scent was very potent and distinct. With all the types of animals nearby at his disposal, maybe he could do it, if he bathed in their urine as I heard some hunters have done before. It was a disturbing thought. In the air, I picked up wolf, deer, elk, moose, and bear. Anyone of them could actually be Jacob, and it made the urge to pick up Bella to flee, strong.

If Bella had a huge surge of her power, there was a good chance it would do more harm than good. Though she seemed fine, I picked up nuisances in her that alarmed me. She was thirstier than ever, constantly having to drink something to keep her hydrated, which was never a good sign. Though she had a problem with balance, something she claimed herself, it seemed to have worsened in the last day. Her pupils appeared dilated, something I had no explanation for, and her core body temperature kept fluctuating. The night before, it had actually reached one hundred and four degrees for several minutes before her gift compensated.

Minutes later, we found a small diner-like restaurant where she ordered pancakes and decided to have a cup of coffee.

"What are we supposed to do in town while we wait?" she asked, sniffing her cup cautiously. "How do people drink this?"

"Why did you order it?"

Her gaze fell to her lap, biting her lip nervously. "Reminds me of Charlie."

I sighed and handed her the cell phone. Charlie had left one voicemail, just asking if we made it okay and to thank us for the video I sent from our second wedding.

"Call him," I whispered. "If you do not do it today, you will not be able to until it's safe to come off the mountain."

"You mean when I'm considered safe to be that close to people?"

I nodded and pulled out a small laptop from Bella's backpack, taking a few minutes to check my email. Rosalie and Emmett would keep us appraised on Charlie's behalf on our "disappearance." That included rumors that usually ran rampant when something like this happens in Forks.

As I expected, it was exactly what I thought would happen. Before I could delete the email, Bella cleared her throat to get my attention.

"How bad?"

I leveled her a glare. "You are not supposed to be using your power, remember?" She cocked an eyebrow due to my tone. "Sorry, but I have every reason to worry."

"That may be, but I wasn't using them. I could tell, however, that something upset you. You were doing this," she scowled, scrunching up her nose, brows, and even lips.

I tried to keep a straight face. "I did not."

Her beautiful eyes narrowed, noticing the catch in my voice. "You're laughing at me."

A little, but I was not about to admit it.

"Emmett sent me an email of the current gossip at our lovely former school."

She rolled her eyes. "How far along am I in these rumors?"

"About two months."

Taking my fisted hand on the table, in one of hers, she murmured, "This life is what I want. Please, Edward. Don't dwell on the things you can't give me, and focus on those you can."

"I want those things for you…for us."

"I know."

"Do you think if we were both human that you would be here today?"

She seemed thoughtful for a second, before nodding. "If you mean with you, then yes. Married, maybe, but not for a few years."

"I love you."

"That's all I need."

I smiled, though some of the regrets no doubt would linger, it felt good to have her by my side—forever.

~oOo~

Bella threw another piece of popcorn in my direction. She seemed to enjoy watching me deflect it as we sat in the middle an empty theatre. On the screen was an Elvis movie called Blue Hawaii, something she used to watch with her mother.

Her call to Charlie was short because he was in the office and could not afford if someone overheard their conversation. She was happy enough to hear his voice and to be able to tell him she loved him. Shortly after that, she left Renee a message on her home phone, too overwhelmed to call her cell phone.

To take her mind off everything, I suggested a movie at the only theatre in the tiny town. One that apparently had been around since the town was founded. They played older films and new releases every few months.

With the tip of my finger, I sent the piece of popcorn she tossed, across eight rows of seats in front of us. Bella giggled, promising that she would stop and lay her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you for doing this," she whispered after a few moments. "Can you sing like that?"

I hummed a few notes and started to sing softly in her ear, _"Now that we're one, clouds won't hide the sun."_

She rubbed her lips across mine for a too brief kiss. "That was beautiful."

"Thank you." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "This is officially my first date."

She rubbed my stomach with her hand and sighed softly. It was a sad one, and I pulled back to see why. "What is it?"

She looked up at me, staring intently. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here."

From the tears in her eyes, I knew she meant it. "You are here with me now and forever." I pressed my lips to hers and soon found ourselves doing what typical teenagers did in movie theaters. Make out. Some of my thoughts must have been loud and clear that Bella picked it up, despite her trying to keep everything out. Within in a few minutes, she was laughing, taking my face in her hands. "You are so cute."

I grinned and bent to kiss her again.

~oOo~

"If you buy me this, then we'll run out of cash," she hissed, tossing the quilt back on the rack. We were limited to using only cash, because we could not have authorities track us down using credit or debit cards.

"My family will be bringing us more," I said with a roll of my eyes and grabbed the quilt.

"I don't need it, at least not in a few days."

"Thanks for the reminder," I grumbled. "We'll send it to your mother."

She rubbed my arm. "Sorry."

I shook my head. The tension was high between us for a several reasons. One, the possibility of Jacob put us on high alert. Two, was waiting for my family to arrive. Three, we received news that Renee was being accused of harboring Bella. Four, we wanted nothing more than to share more intimate moments before I had to change her and it appeared we were running out of time.

"I know, love. I am sorry, too. It's only that I like giving you small tokens."

She smiled. "I'll get the quilt."

"Thank you."

She turned to look out the window just a truck pulled up to the curb outside the small store. Alice and Jasper were out of the vehicle in seconds and walked straight toward us. We had been in constant contact since my call, making up a credible story in case they had to return to town for us later in the week.

I waved at them to get their attention, though they knew exactly where we were. It was for the benefit of the storeowner that had been keeping a close eye on us. Word of the thefts in town seemed to reach everyone, and all the people in the small town were on alert, especially of strangers.

We greeted each other as if we had not seen one another in months. I cocked an eyebrow, as Alice escorted Bella to get some jewelry, since she needed to wear earrings if she wanted to be able to wear pierced ones _after. _

"Anything?" I asked.

"Nothing," Jasper said, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked along side me. "We checked the perimeter of the town, found no tracks, no scent, nothing to tell us if he'd been here."

"I would not let that fool you," I assured him.

He nodded once in agreement. "I plan to broaden the search, and that's why I called Sam. Apparently, Jacob is quite good at tracking. Something his father taught him."

I groaned. "This means that he is quite capable of hiding his tracks."

"Mark my words, that boy is here, biding his time."

"Are you ready to kill him if we need to?" I asked.

His eyes widened for a second. "I believe that there is no _if _when it comes to him. I think you agree."

I looked to where Bella held up a pair of antique pearl earrings to her ears, modeling them for Alice's benefit. My sister was enjoying herself immensely, her thoughts centered on the fact that Bella would become her best friend in the years ahead.

"I need to talk to her. I do not think I can go against her wishes."

"And you think she'll want him to live, despite what he's done?"

"She said she understood why it might have to be done. But I am not sure."

Jasper sighed. "Whatever you decide, do it fast. Or the choice will be taken from you."

I looked at him, and listened to his thought. _I will kill him despite her wishes if he harms a hair on her or Alice's head. _

I nodded. There was little to say to that declaration.

After we paid for our purchases, we surrounded Bella as we exited the store. As we walked toward my car, I could instantly feel the change in my wife, and so did Jasper and Alice. Her body temperature shot up five degrees, and we felt the push, in my case the pull from her shield. She stilled within her circle of protection, her eyes going wild. "He's here!" she hissed, just as Jacob's thoughts intruded my mind.

"Fuck," Jasper growled. "Grab her before she kills everybody."

"I can't keep it contained," Bella cried out, almost dropping to her knees. Her natural instinct to protect herself against her greatest enemy caused havoc on her body and gift. She had no control. Her body started to shake in my arms, her eyes rolling back in her head.

"No," I whispered. "Stay with me, baby. Stay with me, Bella."

Unable to utter a reply, her hand clutched my shirt in answer. I lifted her in my arms and climbed into the back of my car as Alice jumped into the driver's seat to drive. Jasper made excuses to some people that seen what happened, explaining she was having an epileptic seizure and that she would be all right.

I held her close, rocking her as tears started to stream down her cheeks. "Hold on, love. Just hold on."

"What are you going to do?" Alice whispered as she dialed Eleazar's number.

"Try to change her the moment we get to the cabin."

"But Jacob."

"I have no choice. If we wait any longer, her powers will kill her. "

Several minutes out of town, Bella cried out, "Let me out!"

The car came to a screeching halt, as the door swung open and I vaulted out of the car with my precious cargo. "Hold on!"

She was gasping and trembling so hard as Jasper and Alice joined us, keeping the minimal distance they could to avoid being hurt. The moment we were far enough away from humans, Bella unleashed her gift with a scream. I held her tightly, and when she finally stopped, her body lay limp in my arms.

Jasper growled suddenly. "Get out of here, Edward."

"Our cousins will help us," Alice said.

Jacob had figured out that if Bella expelled her shield in such a burst, it was unlikely she would be able to again for a while. He was right, too. I heard the others as Jacob growled from the perimeter of the dead field.

"Be careful," I whispered to them as I ran passed them. Jacob's howl rented in the air, before he sprinted away.

Tanya, Irina, Kate, flanked by Carmen and Eleazar all nodded as they joined Jasper and Alice. Though I wanted to be the one that ended his life, I could not dwell on that. Bella needed me and she was more important than vengeance.


	40. Preparation

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine—Preparation**

* * *

My foot never lifted off the accelerator as I raced toward our cabin. Bella lay on the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window, her breath shallow and seemed painful for her to breathe.

"Baby," I whispered, hoping to get her to react to my voice. Nothing, she did nothing. My cell phone rang and I slid into a controlled turn for the upcoming blind bend in the road. I pressed a button on the console to answer, Carlisle's voice coming through.

"How is she?"

My fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and considering its paltry polymer, it cracked under the pressure of my grip.

"She can barely catch her breath, and her heart is racing. Her body temperature is sky high and she's shaking uncontrollably. She has not said a word since the episode. Tell me what to do, Carlisle."

"I was afraid of this," he said and I could hear his engine accelerate. "Her organs are probably unable to cope with the constant rise and fall of her core body temperature. They're going to shut down. I'm sorry, son. You have to start the change, and hope that it'll take over before it kills her."

I shook my head. "You were supposed to administer a morphine drip so she did not have to suffer like we did."

"I won't reach you for another four hours. You have little choice, you can't wait much longer."

"I will be at the cabin in about twenty minutes, should I do it now or then."

He sighed and I knew that I was asking for too much. This was a different kind of situation than what he had seen before. He was going on too little information, and the unknown.

"See if you can wait until you get to the cabin, it would not be a good idea to attempt to bite her during transportation. There is no telling how her shield would react to the introduction to venom in her system while in the car. You best be prepared for the worst case scenario."

"Which is?"

"That her body, her gift will fight it and kill her."

"That is unacceptable, Carlisle!"

"I know but there's little I can do from here."

I knew what he was not telling me. That even if he was there, there was little he could do anyway. "Do you still believe it would be best to bite her at each pulse point?"

"Yes."

I terminated the call and looked at Bella. "Stay with me, love. Stay with me." From her lap, her trembling hand rose to rest on mine on the gearshift. "What happened? Why did you have such a strong reaction to him?"

"I…s-saw his…thoughts." Her voice was horse and took some effort to say. "He showed me what he wanted to do you all."

"It was not real, love."

She shared the images and I was aware that her capabilities to read thoughts were greater than my own. Whereas I could catch a person's thoughts some three miles out, especially if it was familiar, she could hear them from about four miles.

"I know," she whispered. "They went so fast, the images he showed me." Her bottom lip trembled as tears started to fall. "Are they going to kill him?"

"If they have no choice," I stated, looking away from her. I was not sure I could handle her telling me that they could not.

From the corner of my eye, I could see her nod. "I understand."

"He is unstable, love. We have little choice in the matter. He's a danger to everyone."

"I don't know what to feel about it," she replied, her hand weakly tightening around mine. "What did Carlisle say?"

"As soon as we get to the cabin," I replied and looked at her again. "If not now, if you think you can not hold on much longer."

"I feel fine, Edward. It was more fear that paralyzed me than anything else." I said nothing since I knew she was lying and she sighed. "My chest aches. I think I cracked a rib."

I growled and shook my head. "You mean I did as I held you."

"Edward, I was thrashing in your arms. If you hadn't held me tightly, I would've broken my back."

"I do not know if I can do this."

Her silence lasted for over a minute, her hand falling off mine. "You changed your mind?" Her grave whisper forced me look at her again. She was crying, tears falling relentlessly down her cheeks.

"I want forever with you," I answered, looking back at the road. "It is just the idea of causing you so much pain." She knew how I felt since it was an argument we had before. And she also knew that there was little that could be said or done to make me feel better.

Neither of us said another word for the last leg of our car ride to the cabin. The second she stepped out of the car, I ran at top speed with her clutched in my arms. Her heart rate, breathing, and temperature returned to normal by the time we reached it.

I placed the bag of items she insisted on bringing with us on the table, before settling her down on the bed. Nervously, she looked up at me. "I want to shower and prepare myself."

Before agreeing with her, I carefully monitored her vitals and found that she did indeed seem fine. I nodded, understanding that she needed a little more time. "I wish I could join you, but—"

"I'll distract you from keeping eye and ear on the perimeter."

I lifted my hand to brush some hair from her face. "I am afraid so."

She grabbed the lapels of my coat, pulling me down and wrapping her hands around my neck. Fingering the hair there for a moment, she killed me with such wonderful touches. Breathless, a minute after, she sat back and smiled.

"Everything will work out. And your family is approaching."

I cocked an eyebrow and listened carefully, hearing nothing to indicate she was correct. "Just Jasper and Alice?"

She nodded. "Sounds like it, the others are remaining out of your reach for now." It made some sense, since they knew what I was about to do, and would not want me to lose focus with all their thoughts intruding my mind.

Just then, I heard Jasper and Alice thoughts. "Remarkable," I whispered to myself.

Bella rose to her feet, using her grip on my arm to steady herself. She walked over to the table, lifting the bag and looked over her shoulder to me. "Send Alice in when she gets here."

I nodded, wishing for a moment that there was no impending danger, and that I could properly make love to her before her change.

She caught my quick thought and sighed. "I think you could've handled it, too."

"Maybe, with a little more practice," I whispered wistfully. "After your change and we handle Jacob, I will not have to be so careful."

She blushed, content with my words as she entered the bathroom, immediately switching on the sink and shower faucets. Her thoughts were no longer accessible as she hummed a familiar song to herself. I had been absently composing the song since we arrived to our little corner of heaven. She must have caught it within my thoughts.

Though I still felt that we were in danger concerning her health, she did seem better than she had been. The pallor she had in the car was gone and her breathing had returned to normal. Maybe it had been mostly because of Jacob. His thoughts and frightening images terrified her enough to send her into some kind of episode.

I went about the cabin, cleaning up what little mess we had left earlier that morning. Had it only been since morning that I tasted her lips? Felt the touch of hers along my chest with such slow, delicious torture.

It seemed as if a lifetime had past since then, and yet, it was so fresh and vivid in my mind. Such capabilities were an advantage as one of my kind. However, there was a disadvantage, too. The images of her bleeding, lying in the hospital bed, crying, and nearly dying would remain in my thoughts forever.

I heard Jasper and Alice's wary approach, both cautious to a volatile or painful mood in me. "Come in," I said loud enough for their ears only. In seconds, they were at the door.

"Well?" I asked Jasper as they entered, knowing he was keeping me from his thoughts.

"He's gone," he murmured, taking careful inventory of the room and the shape of the bed. His eyebrows rose for a millisecond before he controlled his features. I could see from his thoughts that he was curious, but attempted to keep his opinions to himself, focusing instead on our current problems. "The dog seems to have gotten to know the area very well. From remnants of a fire and nearby camp, I would say he's been here for at least the day, maybe since your arrival."

I growled, "Which means he probably followed us here." I shook my head as my hands clenched into tight fists. "He kept his distance, and remained downwind. Christ, I had left her alone that first night for nearly ten minutes. There had been ample opportunities for him to attack us, when it was just me and her. Why did he wait until now? He had to see he cannot win with such odds against him."

Jasper shook his head. "He's gone against Bella's shield and knows he can't win. Maybe he hoped for her power to drain her enough to capture her. Then again, the boy is not thinking clearly. This probably isn't about taking her away anymore. I think that personally, he'd rather see her dead than for her to be what you are and be with you."

Alice whispered, "I think he's right. If he can't have her, no one will." She shuddered slightly.

"He intends on killing her," I growled, my body shaking from trying to restrain my anger. An unwavering need to protect Bella from harm, from Jacob, coursed through me more powerfully than ever before.

"Alice," Bella called from the bathroom.

I had not mentioned to Alice that Bella wanted to speak to her. "She wants to talk to you."

My sister simply nodded and entered the bathroom. Whatever Bella wanted to discuss, would be private because my wife enclosed Alice into her shield which surprised me. It meant she was keeping something from me. For what reason, I was not sure.

"Amazing," Jasper said, watching the bathroom door close behind Alice. "The moment she stepped in the room, I could no longer feel Alice."

I turned to him and asked, "Should we do a search?"

He nodded as I knocked on the bathroom door to inform Bella. Alice popped her head out. "I'll check in every two minutes, Bella will drop her shield for me to do so. I don't see Jacob attacking, either."

"You would not see him doing so anyway," I said uneasily. She quickly reminded me that if he were near, she would not see anything and _that _would let her know when he was coming. "Please watch over her. You notify me if even there is a rise in her body temperature. Understand?" Alice nodded and closed the door.

"I will see you soon, love," I said for Bella to hear. I heard her soft response before I left with Jasper.

We circled the surrounding area of the cabin in a standard grid pattern, looking for any signs that Jacob had been in the area. Though it seemed highly unlikely due to my gift, I had been thoroughly preoccupied since we arrived. It was best to be cautious. The camp that Jasper had come across was closer to the town. I hoped that this meant that Jacob had not found the cabins.

Despite the chances, with Jacob's sense of smell, it was possible that he would eventually find them. All he had to do was capture my or Bella's scent.

"Did you have our cousins waiting for the call?" I asked as I went over events from less than an hour earlier.

Jasper did not offer me any apologizes, and I expected none. He did what he had to do to protect the family.

"Eleazar had been on alert since your arrival and with your plans to change her. It wasn't until after meeting Bella this morning that he had everyone prepare for a possible fight with a newborn." I growled at the thought. "Not to hurt her, but to keep her from harming others. Remember they live in the area, and a mass loss of life by Bella's hands would call attention to the area, namely from the Volturi."

"Something about her scared him," I said. I had thought as much, considering how careful he was to hide his thoughts from Bella and me.

Jasper nodded and sniffed a tree nearby. He was a little more experienced with tracking than I was, and I hoped he could determine if our enemy was close.

He wiped his hands and dusted off his jacket before he answered. "Remember, this is only his theory that he formed upon meeting her and from his past experiences. He said that when Bella used her gifts to warm her in his presence, her shield dropped long enough for him to get a glimpse of them. You and I know how rare it is for a vampire to have more than one power, and Bella seems to have two distinct ones. Her ability to shield herself, the recent manifestations of that shield probably would not have passed through her transformation, if it hadn't been for her head injury. It was a defense mechanism."

"Her shield changed to protect her more fully against the threats surrounding her, hence taking a physical attribute."

He nodded. "He also believes she's, in essence, a dimmer switch. He's never seen anything like it, so again, it's only a theory."

"A dimmer switch?" I repeated.

"He believes that her shield was merely to protect herself and others while she was human. If not, she would either drain everyone around her of their energy or amplify it. From what we've seen already, that depends on her mood, health and fear."

I went over my memories of the last few weeks and shared my thoughts. "If she is feeling ill, she drains their energy to heal herself. If she is happy she spreads her energy out." That could explain the candles from the night before, I thought to myself. "And if she feels threatened, her shield lashes out using a combination of those things. Too close, it'll drain you of power, it can't reach her enemy, the shield lashes out with tremendous energy it gathers from unfortunate nearby sources."

Jasper nodded and said, "All in theory of course."

"That does not explain her ability to read thoughts now."

"Eleazar and Carlisle said that could be because she's your singer, and if your roles were reversed, you would be hers. He's researching to see if there have been any mated couples that share abilities, since he can't find anyone that mated with their singer before."

"If that was the case, that would mean—"

"That you would be a shield, too."

It was not until that moment that I realized something. "You cannot read my emotions."

He shook his head, replying, "Not at the moment, perhaps because you're calmer now. However, when Bella was in danger and earlier, at the cabin I could. Your emotions were too strong not to feel, anticipation of what's to come and what had occurred less than thirty minutes earlier with Jacob's appearance. You were projecting them loud and clear. Now, you've been distracted by our conversation. I still feel a twinge of fear, but it's only when you or I say Bella's name." He sighed, looking concerned. "If this is happening now, this gift will likely be stronger once she changes."

I was reeling with the possibilities and something bothered me. "Eleazar's inquiries may garner unwanted attention."

As we turned toward the cabin, he answered. "Carlisle has told him that. They will only go to those we trust most."

"If this theory is right, I could stop her if she becomes too unstable or goes into the town."

"That's what I'm hoping," Jasper stated. "It will take some time to get used to your new gifts if our theory is correct."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose as leaned against the porch railing of the cabin. "If the Volturi find out about this, us—"

Jasper finished my spoken concern, "They'd send in someone to investigate. And we don't want that."

~oOo~

Alice, Bella, and I sat at the table as Jasper remained on watch outside. Carlisle had called; thanks to some equipment that Alice had brought with her, we were able to make calls. He was arriving soon. My wife was nursing a bowl of soap, quiet as her spoon chased noodles around.

I was surprised in the transformation that happened since she had walked in the bathroom to "prepare" herself. Alice had plucked her eyebrows into a more enticing shape that somehow made her eyes stand out more. She had removed the fine baby hair on her arms and from the furious blush Bella had when I returned, I would say she did elsewhere. Alice had also trimmed Bella's hair in long layers, making the waves more pronounced. I loved it.

"We can find another way," I offered, even knowing it was a lie. Taking her hand in mine, I tried, "We can wait, if you are not ready."

Her dark eyes rose from her bowl to meet mine. "We don't have a lot of time," she said softly. "I don't know how I know, but I just feel off."

I nodded as Carlisle's thoughts allowed me to know he was minutes away. Bella dropped her spoon and pushed her bowl away. She looked at Alice, who merely nodded and left the cabin. Confused, I rose to my feet at the same time Bella did, she dropped her robe to reveal a beautiful pale lavender dress.

Taking my hand, she turned on the music. She turned to face me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Dance with me," she whispered, her eyes roaming over my face as if to memorize it. "They're going to stay away for a few minutes. I wanted to be alone just long enough to say what I have to say."

"Not goodbye," I said hoarsely, my hands slipping along her curves to settle on her hips. "You cannot say goodbye."

She touched my lips with the tip of her finger, and I kissed it. "Not goodbye," she agreed softly. "While you were gone, and I allowed Alice into my shield, she determined that morphine would stop my heart before the transformation would complete."

"No," I said, my head shaking violently from side to side. "No."

"Shh." Her hands cradled my face as tears started to spill down her cheeks. "That only means no morphine when Carlisle arrives."

"I had hoped it would work. Save you from some of the pain."

"I know, Edward. She saw the new future, since we now know that morphine is not an option. At day three, our futures disappear."

"Jacob."

She nodded. "Probably, so you need to be ready for that. I won't be able to help you."

"We will be fine."

"In a few days, our forever will start," she said, pulling me down for a kiss. I pressed my lips to her firmly, catching her bottom one between my own. With every breath she took, she whispered how much she loved me.

We continued in the same fashion, swaying in the middle of the cabin, holding onto each other tightly. After the third song, Carlisle said that he would remain outside and all I had to do was call out if I needed him. Alice had informed him of what she had foreseen.

It was time.

"I love you so much." I pulled her body against mine, lifting her off her feet. A second later, I had her on the bed. "I love you and Bella…"

"Edward."

"Our forever started the day I first saw you."

She gave me a beautiful smile, her head falling back against a pillow, tilting her head to one side. Her neck was exposed, a graceful length of fragrant, ivory skin for me to mark.

"Please forgive me," I whispered by her by ear, kissing her there.

"I forgive you."

"Please…please come back to me."

"I'll come back."

As another declaration of her love for me tumbled from her lips, my teeth pierced her delicate skin. A small moan escaped her as one rumbled in my chest. My eyes rolled back at the ambrosia on my tongue, passing my palette as ecstasy burst through every one of my senses.

It was when her fingers tightened around my neck that I pulled back, swiping my tongue over the wound to seal it. I did not dare to look in her eyes; if I had, I would not have continued. I reached for her hand, and set my teeth into her wrist, quickly sealing and moving to the other. With every bite, her breaths became louder, harsher. Every time my teeth sliced through her skin, a gasp escaped her, followed by a chant of my name.

At the last bite, on the inside of her thigh, her body arched off the bed. My music player sparked and started to burn on the table, the last of the candles sent flames high before extinguishing just as abruptly.

"Hold on to me," she hissed as I enveloped her in my arms. "Run, Alice! Jasper!" Then she started to scream.


	41. Endless

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Forty—Endless **

* * *

The cabin around us rumbled and shook on its foundation that started to crack under the tremendous force that Bella expelled, her body's defense for self-preservation. I held onto her for dear life, groaning, her bones cracking as her petite frame shook in my hold. I tried to loosen my grip, but she held me firmly in her arms.

I sobbed against her shoulder, trying to whisper in her ear. "Let it take over, Bella. Try not to fight the venom."

"It hurts," she cried, tears falling down her cheeks, breaking what was left of my heart.

"I know, my love. I am so sorry."

Her hands shook as they rose to cradle my face, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fought the need to close them. "Still n-not sorry," she gasped. Not yet, she was not, but soon, she would wish for death. All the others, myself included, had wished it continually as the venom coated our insides with its poison. She tried to talk again and every word she said was ragged and breathless. "Love you."

What was left of my composure broke as I pressed my forehead to hers, wishing I had the relief of tears as I sobbed dryly. "I l-love y-you."

Minutes had passed when Carlisle felt it was safe enough for him to enter, Bella having remained quiet for at least a few moments. My gaze lifted to his as he stood near the door, and I could see how much it hurt him to see me suffering. He understood, though; if she hurt, I hurt, too.

"Edward," he whispered, stepping further into the ravaged cabin. A beam collapsed before him, raining a spray of plaster and wood fragments over our heads. I hovered over Bella's prone body, doing my best to protect her from the worst of it.

After the rubble stopped moving, he asked, "Is her shield down?"

I nodded, unable to say a word, too afraid that if I allowed my lips to move again, that I would scream along with my wife. Her cries barely muffled against my shoulder as her tears continued to saturate through my shirt. The arms in which she held me so close weakened and fell from my shoulders, forcing me to look at her again.

Her eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the star-filled sky through a gap of broken ceiling and roof. The tears suddenly stopped as she tried to keep the pain from her voice; instead, breathless words of her love for me tumbled from her lips in a chant.

"I love you. Love you, always. Love you. I'll always be with you."

I shook my head and tried to get her to look at me again. The chanting stopped. "Do not hold it in, Bella." For several minutes, that felt more like years, I continued to try coaxing her out of her catatonia. It made no sense; how could she keep from screaming in agony?

Carlisle tried again to approach the bed, curious and desperate to take her vitals. However, the movement brought a catatonic Bella back to life. It was another burst of her shield ready to inflict damage. My eyes snapped to my father, and he immediately shot across the room and out the door.

Instead of the deadly physical force of her shield, her mind opened for all of them to hear and feel what she felt. Tuned into my family's thoughts and actions, I heard as Jasper dropped to his knees hundreds of feet from the cabin, cradling his head and watching his wife. Alice remained suspended where she stood as if her body seized and refused to move except for the quiver of her lips as she screamed in agony. Carlisle was the most unlucky, the closest of my family, who received the brunt of Bella's gift, and felt all of her pain.

I could see the change in Bella immediately, her body relaxed in my arms, her heart rate returned to normal. This was not what we wanted. Her shield was using their energy to fight the venom.

"Carlisle, you must get the others and leave!"

"I c-can't m-move!"

I could not risk my cousins' help, for they would likely end up like Carlisle, Jasper, and Alice. I hated that I had to leave her for even a second, but I had little choice. If she continued to use her gift, she could burn away the venom in her system and all this would be for nothing.

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Keep broadcasting your pain." I hated to ask her this, but if it would keep Jacob from attacking, it was for the best. Her fingers tightened for a millisecond in my grip as if she heard me and understood.

I ran onto the porch and threw Carlisle over my shoulder, running toward the others. I found Jasper and Alice near but within the perimeter of Bella's shield. Outside of it, Eleazar, Carmen and my cousins stood stock still, all desperate to help me.

From where I stood, I helped Jasper to his feet as he reached for Alice. "Stay where you are!" I growled and pushed my cargo toward my cousins. Carlisle and Jasper collapsed in Eleazar and Carmen's arms, as Irina and Kate supported Alice.

I turned to Tanya, the oldest of the Denali vampires. "Do not breach the perimeter. If you come within it, my wife's defenses will attack in some way."

"We figured that out when we saw that," Tanya said, looking toward the line that separated us. On her side of it, there was snow on the ground, and despite the cold, there were signs of life and vegetation. Where as on my side, the snow had melted, steaming, and creating more energy for Bella's gift to use to save her from the venom in her body.

I looked over at Carlisle as he sat up and stared up at me. "If she continues," he said, still trying to capture his breath. "Using her shield, she will burn up the venom in her blood before it has a chance to complete the change."

"What do you suggest?"

"You may need to keep biting her," he said, shaking his head. "Edward, you must prepare for the chance—"

"Do not say it!" I growled, my hands tightening into fists.

He nodded as he struggled to rise to his feet. "I dropped my medical bag on the porch. In it, is a modified diamond-tipped spinal needle in case her bones have already hardened. Fill it with your venom. It will be your last resort. I can't help you. You're the only one her shield will not openly attack."

"I will call with updates. Please, I know it is a lot to ask, considering what may happen when she's like us. But please, keep an eye out for Jacob."

"Alice has already informed us," Tanya said, nodding. "We will make sure the dog gets nowhere near the cabin."

"Thank you," I said, stepping back. "I must return."

My family watched as I ran toward the cabin, a high-pitch howl piercing the night, miles away. I knew Jasper would likely investigate, and would know how to handle the situation. My attention could not dwell on Jacob, because I had my wife to watch over.

~oOo~

I was gone for less than three minutes and found the sheets of the bed saturated with her sweat. She cried out for cold water and I did my best to make her as comfortable as possible. With nothing for her shield to feed upon, it had closed in around us, and her thoughts open for me.

It was unfortunate to have such access to her mind when she was in such pain. She broadcasted the kind of thoughts that brought me to my knees. If she did not need me to care for her, I would have succumbed to it, too.

I stripped her of her dress that clung to her moist, hot skin. In a few seconds, I had her shaking in my grasp, finding some relief under the cold spray of water. "Thank you," was her breathy reply, drops of water covering up tears, but the scent of them tinged the air.

Memories ran through her mind, each disappearing as if the venom attacked them as she tried to focus on one. The day she first saw me across the cafeteria, how she was embarrassed to have me catch her staring; yet, she was curious of the adopted siblings. Even then, she thought of us as _inhumanely_ beautiful. As her mind moved onto the next memory, the last seemed to disappear like smoke.

When her body temperature finally went down a few degrees under the cool water, I did my best to dry and dress her. After a quick change of sheets, I held her close as she started to chant my name again in a breathless whisper. It was a way for her to focus on something other than the pain and to keep me from reading her thoughts. It worked and saved me from the agony of listening to her cry in her mind. She was doing it for me. Yet, I felt I deserved to suffer since I was the reason behind her pain.

"S-stop it, love," she whispered against my chest. I felt the minuscule bite of her nails against my side, her fingers tightening as deep shudder wracked her body. She added, "B-be worth it in t-the end."

I pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling the heat emanating from her. She was getting too warm again. I wrapped my arms around her, using my own cooler body temperature to give her some relief. I relished her brief sigh before another shudder ran through her. She kept her verbal reactions to herself as much as she could but I knew if I was not with her, she would be screaming. I could smell her blood, likely from her biting the inside of her cheek. It was something I had done myself during my transformation.

I smoothed a hand down her back and started to sing to her. Hours passed much in the same way, but on occasion, she could not keep from crying out. Her fingers would tighten in my shirt just before she did, her eyes would close, and her teeth bit into the tender flesh of her bottom lip. In those agonizing seconds, I felt her pain as I held her closer and hummed a little louder, anything to help soothe her.

I knew they were futile attempts, because nothing made me feel better during my transformation. I only hoped she realized I was there beside her, where I would always remain.

~oOo~

Minutes passed like hours, and hours like months. A day had gone by and I did not know how much longer I could endure. It was pure agony to have your loved one, the person you have devoted your entire existence to, cry out in pain. Every one of her shudders, screams, and whimpers cut like blades, shredding my heart.

"P-please," she gasped, "m-make it g-go away." I gently rocked her body, as the bones that broke during the first few minutes of transformation started to stitch together. "P-please." Glassy, tear filled eyes met mine, her bottom lip quivering. "P-please!"

I could not look at her any longer, pressing my lips to her forehead as she started another torturous round of screams and sobs. It had been the same way since the morning, she would go through it until she was so hoarse and exhausted that she fell into a fitful silence. Twice, I heard from my family, keeping me appraised of Jacob. He had eluded them, and from what Jasper could figure out, he was using something to mask his scent and spread it out, in different directions at the same time. It made little sense.

I stopped counting hours eventually and started to talk about our future, since it seemed that my voice calmed her. "When you are able to be around people, I would prefer that we travel for a while before we attend school," I whispered against her temple, and felt the brush of her gasp and whimper against my chest. My shirt lay on the floor discarded, since my cool skin soothed her. "I want to share the world with you. Before you, I thought of certain things as beautiful, but with you beside me, they would be amazingly breathtaking." Her fingers tightened, the only form of lucid attempts for her to communicate. When she tried to speak, words of her pain tumbled unbidden instead and it was something she fought each time.

The phone vibrated in my pocket, forcing me to stop running a hand through her hair. I answered it wordlessly, unable to use my voice for anyone but Bella.

"It's official," Jasper said. "She's killed everything within her shield, except for you. You are okay, right?"

"I cannot even think about my hunger, but she has taken what she could from me without hurting me."

"In other words, you're starving."

"Yes." That did not bode well if I had to bite Bella again, despite the fact I had filled the syringe with my venom earlier.

"Alice says that what Bella shared with you while you danced is coming to pass soon."

I should have figured that they planned for this call. Jacob could possibly hear every word exchanged between us; his kind had very keen hearing. When Bella and Alice saw the future during those short moments in the privacy of her shield, they came up with a plan.

"Should I be worried?"

"Keep her close," he murmured. "Hold onto her tight, always keep a hand on her, and don't worry about the rest of us."

"Be careful."

"Always."

I dropped the phone onto the bed and held Bella closer, keeping myself alert. For the last few hours, her shield started to lose power because it needed more energy to cure her. The lack of energy was I thought the reason the venom in her system had started to dissipate. The shield only needed a tiny spark and she would be fully human again in hours. Her gift was winning and I knew I had only a few minutes to inject her or we would have to start the process all over again, and this time, it might kill her.

Careful with her exhausted body, I shifted until she lay in the middle of the bed. I kissed her soft lips once and repeated my request for her forgiveness. With the needle in my hand, I raised it, ready for what I had to do.

At the precise moment that my arm started to descend, the nearby window exploded inward, spreading wood and glass in every direction, like sharp little missiles. I shifted to shield Bella from them and held on to her as Alice had said to do. Whatever they planned, it would have to happen quickly, before the venom disappeared from her blood completely.

Jacob's wolf form stood before me, his mouth open in a snarl of large canine teeth, sharp and menacing. I kept a hand touching Bella's leg as I crouched lower, in position should he attempt to attack.

"Now, Edward!" Jasper roared suddenly from the doorway. He sprinted into the cabin, slamming into the lone wolf and sending them tumbling out the window again. Bella's body started to convulse as her shield attempted to use the new life it detected nearby to heal.

"No!" I turned, the needle still in my hand slicing through the air. I heard a whimper from Jacob and an agonizing groan from Jasper, her shield was already growing. My family stood at the edge, desperate to help. "Stay back!" If they helped, her shield would attack everyone, perhaps even me, and then it did.

My knees started to buckle at the weight that tried to push me away. Even then, in moments when I posed a threat to her, her subconscious was careful not to hurt me. I used that to my advantage and pushed against her, sending the needle through her sternum and into her heart.

For a moment, it seemed that time stood frozen, her eyes wide and disbelieving, staring at me with both admiration and horror. Then, it started up again.

She sat straight up, screaming. Suddenly, her shield fell, as it was too much for her body to take at one time. Her hands shook, hovering over her chest as she looked down at the needle sticking out of her heart, blood trickling from the tiny wound. Her eyes, gaunt and dark red, slowly lifted to mine.

"I love you."

Her eyes rolled back as she fell against the mattress, her body shaking as my venom spread faster than ever before. I heard a few of the others approach, now that the shield was down. The moment it fell, however, Jacob recovered and ran into the forest, with Carmen, Tanya, and Eleazar tailing right behind him.

"We're going after him, Edward. Kate and Irina are staying close, in case he circles around." Jasper watched me through the broken window as he rose to his feet, "One way or another, he dies soon."

I looked back at my wife, her hand in mind. "Bring him to me."

"Are you sure?" he asked, and Carlisle was unusually quiet.

"Yes," I answered as I looked for Alice for more answers. The shield was down and she should be able to see the future. "How long until she wakes up?"

"If you bite her like you had before, it should happen more quickly than the first time."

"I don't understand," Carlisle murmured. "Why is her shield not attacking us anymore?"

I looked down at Bella. "For a moment, before she passed out, I read her thoughts. Her body finally figured out that for her to be with me forever, she had to allow it to happen."

They left as Kate and Irina took watch on the front porch. I took a few minutes to clean up, not wanting my beloved to awaken to such a mess. It was useless. We would have to move into one of the other cabins.

I settled beside Bella, watching her eyes moving rapidly beneath her eyelids. Carefully, I removed the needle and dropped it nearby. Keeping my hunger at bay, I went to work and bit her in the exact same spots as before. Her blood no longer tasted like her own, it was a blend of us.

Within an hour, her hair had already taken a sheen that was unnaturally beautiful. The colors I had seen with my enhanced vision brightened slightly, making it possible for humans to pick up on some of the changes. It was happening faster than I ever imagined, her gift was actually helping to move the transformation along.

I started to believe. Bella never was meant to remain human, but to be what I was. Her body knew it now, and I finally accepted that this, us together, was always meant to be and there was no reason to fight any longer. Soon, my wife, my love, my life, would stand beside me—forever.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to kyla713 for you help as always. I have this planned out for 45 chapters now, but that's subject to change if I get too wordy. **


	42. Awaken

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Forty-One—Awaken**

* * *

It had been some time since I injected Bella for the second time with my venom and Jacob escaped again. "How the fuck is he eluding us!" Tanya screamed from outside the cabin and something hit the already precarious structure of the cabin.

The noise made me look around and realize that, with the destruction Bella's shield caused already, I did not want her to awaken to the disaster area. It seemed strange to think of such a thing at a time like that, but I wanted her to feel welcome when she awoke and not threatened.

"I'm not sure what's going on," Jasper said, clearly as agitated as the others. According to his thoughts, all of them were angry and frustrated. I did not blame them, since there had been an incident with one of my cousins earlier. "How did he manage to enlist the help of a _real_ pack of wolves? Each one reeked of his scent, which explains how there are several trails of it in every direction."

"He's smart," Eleazar added. "He had us chasing him, separating us." I heard the growl from my cousins in reply.

"I have never heard about a werewolf being able to do that, though it may be possible. I know even less of shifters," Carlisle added. My family surrounded the cabin, having lost Jacob shortly after his last failed attempt to hurt Bella. "Though, I would guess he fought against the alpha and clearly won the approval of the pack. I'm worried, Jasper. Is there anything still human left in the boy?"

"As far emotions are concerned, all I sense is revenge, hate, and savagery. I had not sensed this level in him before all this happened. I'm sorry about what has to happen, Carlisle. We have no choice any longer." He did not voice the rest of his thoughts, which indicated that we should have destroyed Jacob at the first sign of trouble back in Forks, despite the possibility of a war with the Quileute's tribe.

"I do understand that," Carlisle clarified. "Does not mean I like it. I think he was only fifteen before the transformation." Though I understood his feelings and distaste about the situation, I was tired of the same argument. Jacob was too much of a threat to all of us.

"Fifteen, twelve, I don't care about the dog's age," Tanya growled, turning her attention to Carlisle and then to Jasper. "He tried to kill Irina and Edward's mate already. If either of you hesitate, I won't."

"I'm with Tanya," Kate and Irina said in unison. During the last encounter with Jacob, he managed to separate Irina from her family and succeeded in severing her arm, luckily Kate managed to get there in time to save her sister and with Jasper's help was able to reattach her limb easily. Unfortunately, Jacob managed to escape.

"She's right, Carlisle," Eleazar said. From Jasper's thoughts, I could see Eleazar nod and lean toward Carlisle. "Not only is he a risk to Edward's mate, but to all of us. He could bring unwanted attention from the Volturi. If Aro finds about Kate, Alice or even Edward and Bella's gifts, I fear there would be no stopping him for procuring them for his collection."

I allowed their conversation to become background noise, returning my attention to Bella. It had been four hours since our second attempt of transforming her. My fingers lingered on the lightly raised bite mark on her wrist, sensing the tiniest of quakes in her body. I gently removed my touch. _Am I hurting her?_

Immediately, I seemed to be in her mind, immersed vividly as I was watching everything through her already heightened senses. It was so unexpected and different from her human thoughts that I gasped sharply, alerting my family. Carlisle and Alice were in the room before I could tell them not to come in, their intrusion breaking my connection to Bella.

Carlisle spoke first. "What is it?"

I shook my head, unable to speak yet. After a few breaths, I trembled as I spoke. I could not decide what I was feeling, there were too many emotions on the surface after only a couple of seconds in her mind.

"I touched one of her bite marks, I thought I hurt her, afraid that her skin was still too sensitive for me to touch her, I dropped her hand immediately." I looked up at Carlisle and realized that my eyes were black with the need to feed. He knew I would not leave her, so he said nothing. "I heard her thoughts."

"What was she thinking?" Alice asked, confusion filling her features. I knew not being to be able to see Bella and I clearly unnerved her.

"That she knew it was me holding her wrist and that my touch felt good," I replied softly, my brow furrowing. "She wanted more." I realized my mistake then, grasped Bella's hand in my own, since she wanted me to hold her. I would do anything she asked of me.

"All right," Carlisle said carefully. "What caused the alarm in your voice?"

"The intrusion was different than any of you," I said, trying to find the words. "I explained to you the first time I tried to enter her mind in the hospital." It seemed a lifetime ago after all we had been through in the last couple of weeks. "How there was a transparent red wall, protecting her thoughts from me?" They nodded, unsure where I was going with the direction of my line of questions. "At first, it felt like that, as if I was swimming through that wall until everything brightened. I felt everything she did at that moment. It was incredible. She sensed every source of life near her. In her mind, we appear as we see each other, but with this inner glow. Mine is one of the brightest. We are completely encompassed in what is her _normal _shield and do not even realize it."

"All right," Carlisle said, still not understanding. How could I explain what I had seen inside her beautiful mind? "What are you trying to say?"

I looked away and my eyes fell on Bella, where she lay so still, keeping her pain reined inside her. She did it for me, for us, so that I would not suffer along with her. I pulled her hand gently to my lips, kissing her palm and whispering I loved her.

After another moment, I answered Carlisle's questions, curiosity nearly raged inside him. "She said the light was my soul." Every member of my family stilled, not only in their physical form, but in their minds, too.

"Do you think it's true?" Alice whispered softly, breaking the long silence.

"I was not in her mind long enough to read why she believed it, only that she did," I replied, my fingers caressing each of Bella's, my brow furrowing again. "I want to believe it."

Carlisle laid his hand on my shoulder. "Then believe it, she sees it inside us, and you." In his thoughts, he added, _to her, yours in the brightest, because you are her other half. You are the beacon calling her home._

I had always questioned his belief that our souls remained intact in this life, but seeing through Bella's mind, I thought maybe, just maybe, she was a part of my soul and I was hers.

~oOo~

Later, Alice informed me what I desperately wanted to know. "It won't be long now," she murmured from outside the cabin, adding, "Before the end of the day at most."

Since Bella's gift was no longer hindering the transformation and actually helping move it along, her outward appearance started to change within hours. Her hair had already taken the unnatural shine that most of my kind had. It was beautiful and enhanced the multitude of colors in her long wavy curls. Her skin started to lighten more than her already pale color, into a milky white, yet it still felt warm to the touch.

An hour later, Bella and I occupied another of the small cabins. Alice had helped me change my wife's clothes, finding something suitable for hunting. During the entire process, Bella held absolutely still, but on occasion, a whimper escaped her. There were no other outward tells of her pain. I hated that she had to go through the transformation for so long. It was already at the end of the fourth day, but I did not allow myself to dwell on it.

More hours had passed, when I heard the telltale beat of her heart starting to race. It was time. It nearly killed me to step away from her, but I knew I had to, in the likely event that when she awakened, she would see me as a threat until she remembered everything. The others had when they all first woke.

I watched as her long, dark lashes started to flutter against the apple of her cheek. Her heart started to race faster, skipped several beats before it restarted again. A shuddering breath left in a rush from her lightly parted lips, her back arched, a gasp escaping before she fell back on the bed. Her fingers clenched into tight fists at her sides, warmth still emanating from her.

"It's her gift," Carlisle whispered knowingly, sensing my unspoken question. "If she harnesses energy, it's safe to say she would be a few degrees warmer than we are, though still cooler than a human." She was a balmy eighty-three degrees compared to our sixty-two.

"She won't have too much trouble fitting in with humans when she's ready," Jasper said, attempting to alleviate some of her pain. For the last hour, he had been able to sense her emotions sporadically. The shield that often hid her thoughts seemed to fall and rise with no discernible pattern. The only way we sensed when it was down was when Jasper and I were able to read her. Whenever Jasper felt her, he tried to help as much as he could. I would forever be in his debt for doing so, though he made it seem that it was no trouble, the clench of his jaw was enough to know that it was a lie. He tried to keep his thoughts during those brief moments from me, but I knew, she was in agony and I hated every second of it.

_Come back to me, Bella._

It was almost an hour later when Alice cleared her throat, to grab our attention. "Shh," she said and everyone waited anxiously as Bella's heart started coming to a stop.

The last song of her heart would be a tune that I would remember forever, the last note of the end of one life. Her next unnecessary breath, however, was start of another, with me. The others stepped back and out of the cabin, so not to alarm her when she woke up.

I lifted my hand from my pocket, rubbing my mouth just as her eyes snapped open. She lay there, unblinking and looking at the ceiling above her. A tiny furrow of her brow was the only indication that showed her confusion, it was common upon awakening, that and being easily distracted. When a vampire awoke for the first time, with new eyes and senses, the world seemed like a brand new place.

My hand fell to my side and her head turned quickly toward the sound. I exhaled harshly, though I expected the color of her eyes after the transformation, I was unprepared for their beauty, a deep blood red, a startling contrast against her pale skin, framed by long, sable lashes. "So beautiful," I whispered softly.

As soon as our eyes met, my hand lifted slightly, beckoning her to me. I desperately wanted her touch, to feel our connection once again. She sat up fluidly, and shot off the bed and stood in front of me in less than half of a second. Again, I found myself surprised by the change, unaccustomed to her moving so fast and gracefully.

Her mind was as closed to me as the first time I laid eyes on her. She cocked her head to one side, watching me before her eyes fell to my outstretched hand. Her gaze remained there as her hand rose a moment after, deceptively delicate fingers slipping along mine. My lips parted at the feel of her skin against mine, if she noticed my reaction there was no indication.

Unable to curb the deep desire to hold her and touch her, my body trembled with the need to restrain it. I did not want to scare her enough to instinctually defend herself. We had seen it in Rosalie and Emmett immediately after their transformations, and if Bella's other gifts remained intact, she could potentially hurt me. There was also the fact that due to her newborn state, she was stronger than I was.

Her fingers trailed up my arm, lingering for a millisecond at the inside crook of my elbow, eliciting a slight tremor through me. A corner of her lips twitched as her hand continued onto my shoulder before her palm cradled my jaw. Red eyes lifted to meet mine, and she smiled.

"Edward," she said, unknowingly loud. Confused, she tried again. "I won't hurt you," she said in a softer tone. "I love you."

A shuddering breath escaped as excitement, love, and desire, had me acting before I could rein it in, reaching for what I wanted most. My hands slipped over her arms and down to her hips, pulling her closer. "I love you."

I grunted when she returned my embrace, one of her hands cradling the back of my neck, the other around my waist. "Careful," I murmured, unsurprised by her strength.

Her hold loosened minutely as she breathed deeply, her nose and lips touching the bare skin at my throat. I felt her lift her face to look at me, and I was surprised to find desire for _me_ there. Her eyes seemed to take in every inch of my face, her fingers soon following the same path. I remained as still as possible, allowing her to do as she pleased. When her eyes fell to my lips, instead of her fingers, she rose to the tips of her toes and pressed her mouth against mine. I groaned as my arms pulled her tighter against me. Her hands rose to my hair, tugging slightly to bring me even closer.

She pulled back, breaking the kiss. I swallowed deeply, and for the first time in months, I was able to do so without any pain.

Her eyes were drawn to my throat, cocking her head to one side, placing two of her fingers there, waiting for it to happen again. I wanted to laugh, loving the almost childlike curiosity she seemed to have. Before I could comply with her silent request, something else grabbed her attention.

Someone outside moved, eliciting a hiss from her. Instantly, Bella spun and took a defensive position in front of me. "Who is it? I don't know them," she growled, breathing deeply, no doubt finding foreign scents in the air.

I stepped from behind her, concerned that she would attempt to protect me without a second thought. Such a thing should not have surprised me. I had seen it with all the other mated couples in my family. However, the idea that she would put herself in harm's way for me unnerved me.

"It's our family, Bella." I slipped my hand along her arm, capturing her wrist and then her hand. "They will not hurt you." She straightened before I finished my sentence and before I could ask how, she answered the unspoken question.

"I can read your mind," she said, turning her head toward a sliver of filtering moonlight, seemingly entranced with dust motes that danced in the air. Her hand lifted, a smile emerging when the particles moved wildly at the swirl of her finger. She looked so sweet, yet so achingly beautiful. "But I can't drop my shield like I used to." She seemed frustrated by this, closing her eyes in deep thought concentration. "Or spread it out."

Was she trying to use her powers?

"Damn," Jasper hissed from outside just as Jacob howled from miles away. "He heard her, Edward."

Bella growled and sprinted out the door before I could protest. "He's still alive!"

"Every time we get close, he seems to be one step ahead," Jasper said to her as she stepped out onto the porch. Bella's lip curled slightly in a snarl, watching him warily. She cocked an eyebrow, her eyes on his scarred arms. "I apologize for not telling you my history." Having heard that she could read minds, he gave her a brief rundown of his past.

Bella nodded and Alice huffed. "Now I know how everyone feels when Edward and I talk silently." Jasper smiled. It was not the first time a newborn had seen his scars and immediately thought he was a threat.

"We'll deal with Jacob soon enough. How are you feeling, Bella?" Carlisle asked, approaching her cautiously.

"Fine," she hissed, her head snapping toward the east. "I admit that I'm really pissed off about Jacob. He's attacked me and Edward, and tried to hurt some of you. He needs to be stopped. And none of you have hunted since I stole your energy." She rounded to look at me. "Did I hurt anyone while I was out?"

"Briefly, Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper," I answered honestly. I would not lie to her and I knew she could find the truth in their thoughts if she wanted. "About ten seconds."

She winced and breathed deeply. "I'm sorry that I hurt you." Her lips thinned as my family nodded. "I don't think my emotions are the trigger any longer," she hissed, her hand clenching at her sides. "Considering how I feel right now, you'd all be flat on your back right now."

"Tell me why," I said, rubbing her arm. "Is it because you are thirsty?"

She nodded, clutching her throat. "Not only that. My thoughts and emotions are all over the place," she replied. "Plus, I can hear Jacob!"

"You'll feel disoriented for a while," Jasper indicated. "Easily distract—"

Before he could finish, Bella interrupted. "I can't go hunting alone." Her hand rubbed at her throat, and I knew she felt the white-hot poker burn of thirst.

"We need to go now," I insisted. "I do not want her hurting." The rest of my family agreed.

"We can go in groups," Jasper suggested, but suddenly stilled as Alice gasped, her constant watch over our futures since this all started disappeared from her mind.

Jacob.

A sound alerted us and we watched as several gray wolves indigenous to the area slowly moved toward us from the tree line. I knew then what Jacob's plan was and I could do nothing but watch as Bella ran toward her next meal, her instinct and hunger, driving her. She was too fast.

Within a second, the wolves Jacob had sent had completed their task—separating Bella from her us.

"Bella," I roared and ran after her. She was much faster, growling menacingly since her instinct was to hunt, and I was intruding. To her, I was a threat.

"Back off, Edward," Jasper said, running just behind me.

"Jacob is luring her away from us," I hissed and had to jump a gorge that Bella sailed across without even stopping to see if she could. She was amazing.

"He's using her instinct to hunt, her thirst against her," Tanya said from my right, the rest of the family trailing behind us. "Edward, they're leading her toward the town."

"Damn it!" I spat as I nearly obliterated a spruce in my attempt to reach her. She was a step ahead of us because of her ability to read our thoughts. Every time we moved to intercept her, she counteracted. "Can you sense Jacob?" I asked Jasper.

"Nothing," Jasper said, pointing toward the right where Bella was crouched, watching the trio of grey wolves circle around in a clearing. They seemed confused, whining with their tails between their hind legs. "What's wrong with them?"

Tanya, Jasper, and I stood only a hundred feet behind Bella. If she sensed us, she showed no indication that she knew.

Suddenly, she jumped into the clearing, a slow smile spreading across her face. "What do I do?" she asked, only turning her head slightly toward me.

_Does she mean to hunt?_ "Do what feels natural." If it would distract her enough not to run again, I would do what I could.

"His scent is all over them," she said, and from her profile, I could see the curl of her lips. "Did he always smell so bad?"

_How is she in such control in the middle of a hunt? _Tanya asked in her thoughts. Jasper and Carlisle, who joined us, had the same thought.

"I am not, they don't appeal to me," Bella growled, her eyes locked on something I could not see. "Besides, I'm simply waiting."

What was she saying? I hated that she seemed to have a farther reach than I. "Waiting for what?"

Suddenly, trees seemed to explode in a multitude of earthy tones, black, grey, and white in front of Bella. Wolves of every shape, size, and color ran toward her, leading them was Jacob. She screamed and ran toward him, jumping high as the large brown wolf did the same.

I watched in horror as they collided in midair, my family scaring and fighting the rest of the pack. I went after Bella and Jacob, who both fell with a tremendous impact in the snow, rolling several times, growls and the sound of rendered flesh accompanying the echoing screams of the dying wolves in the small clearing.

I found purchase in Jacob's brown and red-slicked fur, smelling the scent of spilled venom. With a roar, I wretched him from atop my wife and tossed him away. I heard the thud of his body hit a tree nearby, and an agonized whimper. I did not care about him, only Bella. I found her panting and trying to claw at me, her eyes closed.

"Bella!" I said, capturing her wrists and straddling her thighs to stop her struggles. "It's me." Immediately, she stopped, looking at me.

"Don't let him get away," she cried, her hand immediately lifting to gouge the tear at her shoulder. He bit her! As she explained, I bent to lick at the wound to help seal it, holding her together, but Jacob had not severed her arm. "He said he'd go after Charlie next. He wants to find a way to make us pay."

"He's running!" Kate said, batting away a grey wolf and following Jacob into the tree line, her sisters close behind her.

"Go!" Bella said, her head falling back against the snow. I did not want to leave her, but Jacob was heading toward town and Bella could not come with me. "I know," she whispered. "Do what you need to, Edward. He'll kill just to get me to come to him." Her lips thinned. "He wanted me to follow, to kill humans, so I'd live with that guilt forever. Even hoping that you would have to kill me, and you'd live with _that_ for eternity. He's sick. There's nothing I can say anymore."

I nodded and brushed my lips on her forehead. Without another word, I sprinted toward the others, leaving Bella, Carmen, and Alice behind. It was time to put an end to him, finally.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to kyla713 for you help with this chapter. Next chapter is called Fight, coming next week, if not sooner. Thanks**


	43. Instinct

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Forty-Two—Instinct**

* * *

**Bella**

Needlessly, I breathed as I tried with all my power and strength to keep from running after Edward. The ground gave away like butter beneath my fingertips, as I planted my feet on the ground. Every instinct, new and old, wanted me to follow my husband to protect him from harm and fight by his side.

"I don't know what will happen. You have to fight it, Bella," Alice whispered from my right.

She kept her distance, though I didn't take it personally. From what Edward told me, I would be stronger as a newborn than any of them. It didn't help that I'd been a walking mood swing since I had awoken in this new body and life. Easily distracted by the simplest of things, I was not exactly good company. Entranced by a sparkling particle of dust to the shape of my husband's lips, my eyes always wanted see more of this new world around me. It didn't help that I reacted to the intrusion to Jacob's thoughts without telling Edward and his family anything. Instinct drove me.

I knew from the moment the wolves broke through the tree line what Jacob's plan was, to separate me from the others. Jacob's thoughts had betrayed him, and though I walked into his trap, my intent was to stop him at all costs. He was a risk to Edward, to our family and Charlie. If he had not bitten me, instinctively making me panic, he wouldn't have gotten away from me again. After Edward's venom-filled bite started the fiery transformation the first time, the thought of someone else biting my neck made my skin crawl, or maybe it was because of Jacob.

A part of me never wanted to experience the level of pain of the transformation again. Yet, I knew losing Edward would be a thousand times worse. That thought suddenly overwhelmed me. I screamed and jumped to my feet, unable to fight the urge to find him. I looked left and right, getting my bearings easily. He traveled toward the south, but before I could take a step toward him, Alice said, "Wait."

Alice and Carmen shook their heads. "You can't go, nina," Carmen said, carefully stepping forward. _You cannot follow him. He's too close to the town. _She knew I could read thoughts; did Edward tell her?

I swallowed, venom burning down my parched throat like acid. "I know," I replied, closing my eyes to concentrate on my surroundings. I did know, and it was that reminder that kept me from seeking my husband.

I was frustrated that it was much harder to control my shield as a vampire. However, I was able to share Edward's mind reading ability, and to amplify it due to my shield, but I could not control the other aspects of it. They seemed to remain dormant one second and pop out suddenly, forcing me to rein it inside me. If Edward hadn't made me realize that it was him on top of me earlier, instead of Jacob, it would have unleashed and caused untold damage to everything around me, including Edward and his family. I had little control over it. I could not drop it at will or expand it outward to strike against Jacob when he attacked me.

However, Edward was able to use _his _shield in such a manner. I knew then that it was true. If a vampire mated with his or her singer, they shared their gifts. At least, that seemed to our case. Edward wasn't aware at the time, when he had tried to stop me from attacking him. He had pushed me slightly with his shield. That push was enough for me to see that it was him on me.

Maybe his shield would protect him against Jacob. _Please, let him be safe. _I hated that it had come to destroying Billy's son, but he was a threat to too many people and seemed to have lost all reason. There was no other choice. I could not risk Charlie and my mother, or anyone in Forks. I only hoped that Billy would survive the loss of his only son.

My attention was drawn away from my tiresome thoughts by a sound. I caught the scent of a few stragglers from Jacob's adopted pack and ran away from my husband and toward the source of substance. The inner beast rebelled against it, but I would not allow it to win. My legs pumped faster, giving me a greater advantage against Alice and Carmen. Though I knew they were friendly, a part of me saw them as someone encroaching on my next meal.

Ignoring the scent of wet dog, and before Alice and Carmen could catch up with me, I pounced on a trio of wolves, sending us sprawling in the snow. Instantly, the blood of one of the wolves tinged the air. I growled and I dove, biting its jugular. Instinctively, I twisted its neck to end the struggling and its suffering. Before the other two were able to limp away from me, I jumped onto them, emptying them of their blood in about ten seconds.

As I stood, I looked at the wolves carcasses, unable to look away. They were so still and besides the small amount of blood that spilled on impact, there was nothing more to provide evidence of their demise. I heard Alice and Carmen approach slowly, and I spared them a look.

Alice smiled timidly. "You are doing so well, Bella." Carmen nodded. "You barely have any blood on you." I looked down at my attire, the grey leggings were torn on one side, and my blue sweater dress was tattered along the neckline.

Before I could offer some sarcastic reply, something caught my interest a few miles east of my position. I concentrated and heard the thudding beat of a heart nearby, it was thready, a bit too fast, the sound of blood rushing in veins, and salt water tinged the air. The sound, the scent called to me like no other. Someone or something was bleeding. I groaned and sprinted away from a screaming Alice and Carmen.

Instinct drove me to run faster, to find the source of the scent. My throat was on fire, my stomach clenching with a different type of desire.

I was thirsty.

* * *

**Edward**

On either side of me was Jasper and Carlisle, the others taking up the rear to insure that Jacob did not circle around and go after Bella again.

"He's reaching the outskirts of town," Tanya indicated, catching up with our longer strides. "There's a cabin about mile away, he'll reach that first."

"Will he hurt them on purpose?" Jasper asked, confused because strategically, it made no sense. Anyone else would have gone straight for Charlie as he had threatened. We were missing something, though I had no idea what it was.

I relayed some information. "Bella saw his thoughts and from what I read as he was attacking her, he wants for me and her to suffer. The town is likely a stop on his path toward Charlie. Maybe he hopes that she'll chase him."

"We must stop him," Eleazar said, reaching Carlisle's side. "If he causes mayhem in the town, and the incident reaches the Volturi, the giant wolf aspects of the story will garner a visit from the very least Caius. That cannot happen while Edward and Bella are this close."

"Agreed," Carlisle said as we reached the cabin.

I heard the hum of electricity, the steady beat of a retired, widowed logger as he watched something on television. Behind those noises was a harsh beat of another heart. Jacob. I looked at Jasper and with a simple nod, he moved closer to the house to put the human to sleep with his gift and stand guard in case Jacob planned to attack.

Keeping my voice low enough for the man not to hear, I called for my enemy, "Jacob, its time to put an end to this."

I heard the dark laugh from his inner most thoughts. "_As if you'd give me a fair chance. What's the matter, leech? Too scared to take me on by yourself?"_

"Never," I hissed and walked slowly toward a large embankment of shoveled snow. I heard the others approach, but with a shake of my head, they remained where they stood. They did not enjoy the prospect of watching me fight on my own. I had the ability to overcome Jacob easily, but it was the fact that I might not be able to live with myself after destroying him that worried them.

They had nothing to worry about; his death would only serve to remind me in the future, that I would do anything for my wife.

From behind the embankment, his massive furry form stepped out, his lips curled over vicious canines. His dark eyes remained on me as he sniffed the air, wary of the others, but made no move toward them. The only thing on his mind seemed to be me; not even Bella invaded his thoughts.

I knew then, that he was hiding something. That secret had to wait. I could see all the telltale signs of his impending attack. The way his body coiled like a spring, ready to pounce from his powerful hind legs, the way his ears fell back against his head and the rage that gave him away right before he attacked.

I sidestepped him easily and delivered a punch to his ribcage that sent him across the clearing. He fell from midair, skidding across snow and forest debris, coming to a stop near a tree. A whimper escaped before Jacob bounced back on his paws and shook away the daze from the lack of air. He panted as he circled around me, looking for the advantage. I read every thought in his mind; saw how his imagination ran wild with vivid thoughts of killing me. It ranged from beheading with a single swipe of his paw— highly unlikely— to ripping every limb from my broken body and tossing them onto a roaring fire. He wanted retribution for his lost love, as he still believed he imprinted on her.

From the nearby tree line, my family watched, all wary and guarded. All willing to step in if I required aid. There would be no need for it, because I would be the one to kill for Bella, as I had done before. I would do again if it meant her safety and happiness.

"_She would've been mine,"_ Jacob snarled in his mind.

"She was never yours."

Jacob threw his head back, howling before launching another attack.

* * *

**Bella**

Alice and Carmen were miles behind me, but my mind was too focused on the blood that still thrummed with life nearby to care about them. I skidded to a halt in a small clearing, listening for the heartbeat and following the delectable scent. Something lay on the ground, covered in a blanket. Whatever it was appeared to be shivering, too. That gave me a reason to pause, breathing deeply to take more of the scent inside me. Was this another trap set up by Jacob?

"Mommy," the small, hoarse voice of a child came from within the trembling pile of fabric.

I hissed, dismissing what I heard. There was no reason for a child to be out miles from town in twenty-nine degree weather. My mind raced with other possibilities. Another of Jacob's adopted wolves indigenous to the region, maybe a hurt dog, or cat.

"Mommy."

I growled. In a second I was in the clearing, unable to stop myself from approaching the child. My hand swept away its only warmth with a flick of my wrist, eliciting a frightened yelp and another round of shivers. The boy appeared to be no more than five years old, with curly brown hair and startling dark blue eyes that stared up at me.

"Are you an angel?" he asked.

His question, the softness of his voice stilled the hand I had begun raising to his throat unbidden. My instincts, the beast inside me, threatened to come forth.

"Yes," I lied. At least, I believed I did, but I was almost beyond reason.

"Are you here to kill the big bad wolf that took me?" His eyes widened at the thought of that, imagining me wringing Jacob's neck in a cartoonish fashion until his eyes popped out, gruesome even for a boy of his age. A tiny hand lifted and he proceeded to suck on his thumb, displaying a dimple in his pale right cheek. Gone was the tinge of warmth I had felt earlier, and I knew he'd been out in the cold too long.

My air supply was limited to talk, just becoming aware that I had stopped breathing since he cried out for his mother. The two sides of who I was rioted inside me. My humanity and instinct to protect a child at all costs was one and the other that craved his blood.

"He's gone," I replied, knowing Edward would end Jacob's life. He would not allow Jacob to get away, not with the threat against my father.

Would I do the same to the boy? Kill him, a helpless child?

Jacob had left him here for a reason, and that was to punish me. I would not let him win. _I hope. _

"Did you hurt yourself?" I asked, pulling the blanket back over him. He nodded, lifting up the sleeve of his cowboy pajamas. Another hiss escaped me as blood, red and vivid lay nearly frozen at his elbow.

"He cut me." His eyes brightened with tears. "Will I be a werewolf, too?" I stopped breathing again, unable to take much more.

I shook my head and lifted him in my arms as if he only weighed as much as a feather. What I planned to do with the boy, I was still unsure. "What's your name?" I asked on my last breath.

"Caleb."

I wasn't sure why, perhaps instinctively, I moved farther away from the others…and Edward.

* * *

**Edward**

I grunted as I allowed Jacob to meet me head on, taking the brunt of his assault in my arms and legs, keeping myself on my feet. My arms encircled him, and with all my strength, I tried to crush his ribs. He howled, thrashed from side to side, wrenching himself from my hold, limping away. I did not give him a reprieve and launched myself at him, colliding before our bodies rolled on the frozen ground, his howls of pain echoing in my ears. He snapped at my face several times, accompanied by fierce growls, succeeding twice at gauging my jaw and cheek, but the prickle of venom told me that they would heal easily.

His teeth managed to latch onto my shoulder, but my hands circled his jugular at the same time. I pounded the back of his head against the ground, waiting for him to die. "I am sorry it had to come to this," I growled, my fingers tensing around him further. "But I must protect her from the likes of you."

His laughter was peculiar, dark, yet somewhat jubilant. Fur started to recede partially, enough for him to look more human than wolf. "You may have won," he gasped, nearly breathless, his voice deeper in partial wolf form. "And you may have protected her from me, but who will protect her from herself?"

It was then that he allowed me to see what he had done. The memory of him taking a small, terrified boy from his bed after his mother had finally fallen asleep, how he bundled him up in a blanket and had him stay in one place to wait for someone to get him. I also could see how his claw had scraped against the child's arm, making him bleed.

"She'll never be able to live with herself," he breathed as his eyes rolled back, the last of his air escaping him in another rush of words, "And maybe you'll have to destroy her."

"What have you done?" I said in horror.

As his life ended, another hung in the balance miles and miles away. I heard Alice scream Bella's name and then my own.

Bella had found the boy.


	44. Run

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Forty-Three—Run**

* * *

**Edward**

As Jacob's life came to end, I shook my head as I came to realize that I would fail Bella. That she would take a life of a human child, because I was not there for her, as I promised I would be. She would live with that on her consequence for the rest of her existence.

"No, no, no!" I gasped, jumping away from Jacob. His dark, lifeless eyes wide open to the dark sky above. The satisfaction I should have felt was fleeting, marred by what he had done. "He…"

"What is it, Edward?" Carlisle asked, bending down to check for a pulse, but Jacob's heart had stopped beating.

He was gone.

"He left a child in the woods for Bella to find."

"Oh God," Kate gasped as did her sisters. "She'll kill him without a second thought."

The conversation had already taken two seconds, one too many. I ran toward my wife and I hoped that I would be able to save her and the child. Carlisle wordlessly indicated that he would remain behind to hide Jacob's body until we could properly dispose of it. I understood that he wanted to respect the dead, but my only concern was for Bella and the boy.

"Looks like I'm just in time for the party," Emmett bellowed from behind me, the others following suit. Esme and Rosalie were still a ways behind but within hearing distance.

"Jacob has left a little boy in the woods," I quickly explained. "He hoped that if he failed to separate Bella from us that at least she would have to live with the guilt of killing a child."

"Edward," Emmett said gravely, now a hundred feet away. "She'd never get over it."

"I know." I quickened my pace, my family following as best as they could.

Several minutes later, we reached the clearing that I'd seen in Jacob's memories. We looked around, but could find no tracks leading into the clearing or out, which was not unusual for a vampire. Bella's scent was minimal and seemed to be going in every direction for some reason.

Jasper came up with a quick possible explanation. "Her shield is spreading out her scent?" If that were the case, it would make pinpointing her scent more difficult. She was different from any defensive shield I had ever come across.

"Edward!" Alice called out north of us. My eyes snapped toward the sound of her voice and I found her near the tree line. She gestured behind her and disappeared a second later, her thoughts indicating that she knew where Bella was.

"She wants us to follow." Without another word, we did as she silently asked.

"We have to assume that Bella can already hear us by now," Jasper said.

"Yes." I gave Emmett a look over my shoulder and he immediately appeared at my right. "Follow Jasper's lead." He nodded as Jasper played out possible strategies in his mind.

Before long, we heard the telltale sound of a beating heart. The child was still alive. Jasper's confusion was evident in his mind, as well as the others. They did not believe we would find the child alive.

"Bella!" I called out. "Where are you?"

Another mile and we came to the edge of a cliff, Alice and Carmen stood several hundred feet from a defensive Bella, standing near the drop. Even though I knew she would survive a fall, I did not want to see it happen, and the child would not live. She growled as I and the others came into her line of sight. The sound was huskier than her normal voice, sending a shiver down my spine. Her eyes narrowed as we stepped toward her, a snarl curled her lips, a hiss escaping.

"Climb on my back, Caleb," she whispered, helping the small boy that did as she asked instantly. His small, thin arms clung around her shoulders and neck. Her eyes went to every face that stood before her. What we must look like, as if we were there to take her down, and her newborn instincts would tell her to defend her meal without any thought of the consequences.

However, there was a child's life at risk. Caleb could not be more than five, with dark brown curls and red-tipped nose from the cold. Emmett was right; she would never be able to live with herself.

"How did he find a child that looks so much like her?" If not for the dark blue eyes, I had to agree with Tanya's assessment. It was too close and I knew that Bella would undoubtedly be riddled with the guilt if the boy died by her hand.

"Why can't I hear you?" she growled, as her hands fisted at her sides and her knees bent as if ready to attack.

"We can't read you, either, honey," Jasper said easily. _"An advantage." _I nodded slightly. "_She's not breathing, too. She'll run out of breath to talk soon."_ The more she spoke to us, the more air she would use and eventually she would have to take a breath.

"What do you want?" she asked, her eyes darting to each of us again. "None of you have fed since I took your energy!" Why was she concerned of such a thing?

Another hiss was at her lips as Kate tried to step closer from her right.

I held up my hand to stop Kate. "No! I think all her shields are up. If you try, your power could rebound on you and she'd feed off your energy, knocking you out cold." Kate seemed as if she would argue but eventually she nodded and stepped back into position.

Bella crouched further, Caleb whispering in her ear, "Are they angels like you?" _Angels?_

She glared at each of us, except for me. "No."

"_You are the only one that her shield she will allow inside,"_ Jasper indicated in his thoughts. At least, he assumed it would let me, as it had when she was human._ "You need to meet her straight on, she won't expect it and Emmett and I will follow right behind you. Maybe it'll break her concentration enough to allow us inside, too. You grab the boy and we'll get Bella."_ My hands clenched at the idea of them hurting her, but Jasper immediately assured me they would not.

I nodded, getting Bella's attention again, caused her to spit out a question. "What are you planning?"

I shook my head. "I am only doing what you asked."

"By ganging up on me!" she growled on her last breath of air from her lungs, stomping her foot, sending ice and snow into the air.

"_Now."_

Meeting her eyes head on, I ran at full speed at her, hoping that her shield would recognize me as a non-threat. Jasper and Emmett were close behind me, and just as I started to pass through the threshold, Carmen's thoughts intruded my mind.

"_Oh no, Edward! I don't think she's protecting a meal. She's like a mother protecting her baby."_

Just as we passed her shield, Jasper came to the same realization, feeling Bella's emotions of fear for Caleb. If Carmen were right, Bella would instinctively protect the little boy. However, it was too late now, because Emmett already launched himself at her.

"Wait!" Jasper cried out, as she jumped into the air. The boy lost his grip on her, sending him tumbling off her. His fearful scream distracted her, turning toward Caleb. Emmett was able to take advantage of her, holding her down. I ran and barely managed to capture the boy in my arms, rolling in the snow Caleb tucked inside the cage of my arms.

In seconds, Bella was between Jasper and Emmett, each of her arms in their hold, snarling at them. It was at that moment, I knew where Bella's instinct laid. Carmen was right. She wanted to protect the boy. Despite my attempt to save him, another cut on his arm opened up. Hisses and growls penetrated the air, filling the area with tension.

"Edward," she screamed as her features awash with horror. "Run!"

Jasper and Alice's eyes snapped to me, and as did Emmett, who had not hunted back home in the hopes to catch a bear or two during this visit. My extended family, more in control of their thirst, despite the fact that Bella's shield had drained them of energy during her transformation, knew instantly what the problem was. They ran toward Jasper and the others.

I looked at Bella, just as Emmett and Jasper were poised to let her go, instinct likely had them still holding on. She gave me a small nod. As Carlisle, Rosalie, and Esme ran into the clearing already aware of the situation, I ran full hilt out of it, away from the chaos, toward town.

"Go, Edward!" Carlisle said as he made his way toward Alice. "We'll handle this, save the boy."

I did not look back, if I had, I would have turned to help my wife. My heart and mind wanted nothing more than to go back and protect Bella, but saving Caleb was what she wanted, what I wanted, too. I heard the impact of vampire flesh against vampire flesh in the clearing behind me. My mind's eye was still on the scene happening in that clearing.

"Emmett," Rosalie hissed, and from her mind, I could she had him in a headlock. Her whispered words in his ear, and I realized she would be as protective of the boy as Bella. He was a reminder of her past. "You don't want to hurt the baby boy."

"Alice!" Carlisle cried out as she anticipated his move to hold her back. She flipped over him and he captured only air in his hold. The second her feet touched the ground, she was running.

"Hold onto him, let go when I say," Kate said to Rosalie, putting Emmett on his knees, electrocuting him on full power. With Emmett down and Jasper trying to fight off Esme and Eleazar, Bella was free.

"Run!" she said, suddenly appearing several feet behind me. "Alice will get away, maybe Jasper, too."

I nodded, testing her shield. _"Can you hear me?"_

"_Yes." _

"_Are you sure you can handle this?" _I looked over my shoulder to see her reaction to my question.

She looked grave for a second. Her thoughts centered on Caleb and how much she did not want to hurt him, but that it was difficult for her. As her eyes met mine, determination set in her features _"Yes." _

We heard the commotion behind us and knew that Bella was right in her assumption. Jasper and Alice had escaped, but Irina had joined them, having lost the battle against her thirst.

"_Can you extend the shield around Caleb and me?"_

I could not hand over the boy, either; not with fresh blood on him. The fact that she was not breathing was a clear indication that she was barely in control. I would question _how _she was in that much control later. She nodded again, immediately taking a position behind me. They would have to get through her to get to Caleb and me. Everything inside me rebelled against the thought of her putting herself between danger and me.

I was determined to stop her, already turning around when the boy whimpered in my ear, "I want to go home."

"We are taking you home, Caleb," I replied softly, meeting his dark gaze. Despite the color of his eyes, I could see why Tanya thought the child looked like Bella. The shape of his face was similar, only a bit rounder, the nose was small like hers, and his dark lashes and hair were the same color as Bella's long curls.

Was that why he was still alive? The old regret that I could not give her a child reared up at such an unfortunate time. Thankfully, Bella's thoughts intruded. If she read where my mind had led, she made no comment about it.

"_I don't have control of my shield. I can't seem to get the physical aspect to come up for more than a few seconds." _That explained how it was easy to penetrate her shield in the clearing. The only gift that protected her mind from me, Jasper and possibly Alice was up, but not the others.

We heard the others approach and we were coming up to the outskirts of town. Before I could say something to Bella, she said, "I know." She came to a stop behind me. "Take Caleb home."

I looked behind my shoulder, her back to me as she spread her feet shoulder width apart, her fists at her side as prepared to take on two seasoned, gifted vampires, and a third that was almost thousand years old.

"Bye, bye, Bella," Caleb said, waving at her. Bella looked over her shoulder to smile at him, just as Jasper started to jump down from a tree beside her.

"Bella!" I roared, already turning toward them, flinging Caleb on my back where he clung fiercely. Before I could warn her, Jasper flew away from her, much as Jacob had in the alley that dark night, from approximately a foot before he could reach her. He slumped against a tree, seemingly unconscious, and drained instantly of his energy. That could prove dangerous.

Even though Jasper was hurt, I could not help the elation and pride I had for Bella at that moment. Her physical shield was up. She backed up slowly, wary of every sound and inner voice since her sense of smell was gone, knowing that Irina and Alice were still out there.

"Come here, Edward," she whispering, continuing her backward advancement toward me. She wanted us closer. In a few seconds, Caleb and I were inside her shield. "Do you see them?"

"No," I said, looking in every direction. Caleb shivered violently on my back. "We have to get him warm, or we risk hypothermia."

She turned toward me, taking the boy from my back, and put him in my arms. "Keep watch and an ear out for them." She met Caleb's eyes and smiled at him. "I need you to close your eyes." His lips quirked to one side as if to ask a question, but she shook her head to stop him.

"No questions," he huffed, his teeth chattering as he touched her cheek with a small hand. I did not try to stop him, though I should have. I was too curious for my own good because I wanted to know her reaction to him. She held his hand to her for a second longer before pulling it away and laying it across his stomach.

"Close your eyes," she whispered. His answering sigh almost seemed as if he would do anything she asked. Her eyes closed as she put her hands on his chest, his wound closing within instantly. Caleb's body temperature started to rise steadily. Around us, life started to die. He had been too close to reaching critical.

I smiled, amazed that her powers were still intact and all it took to find them again was this small boy. My hand ran through her hair, removing debris as I went. "Stop, love," I whispered, watching as Caleb's eyes closed, exhausted despite the revitalization of his body. As Bella looked up at me, dropping her hands away, we heard voices. They came from several miles away.

"Everyone with a problem was subdued," Kate shared in her thoughts. Along with her family and mine, they were able to corner Alice and Irina and take them down with a jolt. "Get the boy home, the rest of us will be hunting. We'll be waiting in Carlisle's cabin."

We sighed in relief.

Bella looked up me. "Go now," she whispered not breathing, reluctantly moving away from Caleb. "I can't get any closer to town." She looked at the boy, running a finger down his cheek. "Hurry," she added on her last breath of air.

Careful with Caleb, I kissed her forehead and ran toward town.


	45. Family Talk

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Chapter Forty-Four—Family Talk**

* * *

**Edward**

When I returned from taking Caleb home and eliminating all proof that anyone was there, I found everyone fed and awaiting me.

"I'm amazed," Carlisle said from the living room of the main cabin, watching Bella. "Aside from myself, I have never seen a newborn resist human blood."

Bella looked away, hiding behind a cascade of dark hair. She squeezed my hand, allowing me to see her thoughts.

"She licked his cut closed," I said, reading her thoughts clearly, her natural shield surrounding us both. Her head fell further, her lip quivering in the same way it had as a human. She saw what she did as being weak, though I knew better. "At first, she wanted his blood, and later, she told herself she did it because if the wound was closed, she didn't have to hold her breath."

"That was uncomfortable," she murmured. "I still did it, anyway."

"Despite that, you held back."

She shook her head, looking at me once for approval. When I nodded, she sighed and explained what happened after she found him.

"He called me an angel," her voice was soft, almost musical as she continued. "When I picked him up, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Then I ran away from where I knew everyone was, and again, I wasn't sure why I did. Only that I had to." There was a tiny lift of one corner of her mouth. "He would not stop talking and asking questions. Like what was my name? And he asked if I was taking him home or to heaven where his daddy was."

"Poor thing, but he sounds like most children his age," Esme said quietly, sitting beside Carlisle, a sad smile on her face.

Bella nodded, watching her. "Then he asked me not to hurt him." Her brow furrowed, her eyes dropping down to her lap again. "I didn't answer, I hadn't been breathing. I didn't like it. I licked his wound, knowing the trace amount of venom would seal it. That it would tempt me less, if the blood wasn't so fresh. The next second, I had my mouth at his throat." I tightened my fingers around hers. "If he hadn't cried out my name, I may have killed him."

"You did remarkably well, Bella," Jasper stated. "I'm impressed. Considering Alice, Irina, Emmett, and I have over a thousand years of controlling our diet combined and could not resist."

"That was my fault," she stated, running a hand through her hair, a human habit that remained after her transformation. "If I hadn't drained you earlier, you would've resisted."

"Maybe Irina and Alice," Jasper offered, shaking his head. "I would've had difficulty." Emmett grunted from near the fireplace. He'd been beating himself for almost hurting Rosalie when she held him back from attacking Caleb.

"What happened to the boy?" Rosalie asked me, rubbing a hand along Emmett's back.

"I was able to find his house since I followed Jacob's scent. Breaking in was just as easy."

"You've had practice," Bella mused, smiling shyly at me, remembering the times I snuck into her room.

"Of course," I said, kissing her forehead, and continued to explain. "I found his room easily, only child. He did wake up as I laid him in bed."

"Oh no," Bella said. "I was hoping he'd stay asleep and think all of this was a dream."

I nodded. "That what I tried to make him believe. I think I succeeded."

"What did you tell him?" my lovely wife asked. I smiled up at her, pulling her from where she sat on the arm of the couch and into my lap.

"I said to him, that angels like you only exist in dreams."

Emmett snorted. "Kiss ass." I scratched my forehead unnecessarily with my middle finger.

Bella cocked an eyebrow, laughing gently. "What else?"

"I told him that he was still dreaming, but then he asked for you to tuck him into bed." I slipped one of Bella's silky curls behind her ear, reveling in her. "I said you couldn't because you were saving other little boys and girls."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I never would have imagined that I would have such a strong reaction to child as a vampire. Though two parts of me raged inside me, the instinct to protect him was much stronger. At least, most of the time."

"We still had to hold you back from following Edward," Kate said, wiggling her fingers at her. "It's too bad my power doesn't work on you." In the clearing, as she escaped Emmett and Jasper's hold when they turned to attack Caleb, Kate had tried to subdue Bella, but failed.

Bella smirked, one slim eyebrow raised high. "Yes, that's terrible."

Alice giggled, trying to put the last couple of hours behind her. "So have we figured out how your powers are working now that you're like us?"

"It would be best if we knew," Jasper indicated. "As a precaution, the town, even as far as it is, isn't far enough from you. The next year will be hard for you."

Bella sighed, playing with my fingers, making me wish we were alone with every touch. The tiny lift of Jasper's eyebrow, made me roll my eyes. Thankfully, Bella seemed oblivious.

"_Not oblivious, husband. Just embarrassed, there are other people in the room." _

I did my best to keep from smiling, as she answered Alice's question. "When I have my mental shield up, if you are not within it, I can't hear you."

"And the theory about why you can read minds is because Edward can," Tanya indicated. "It is possible, though I have never heard of it in my long existence."

Bella shrugged. "We share our gifts. Edward was able to push a shield in the clearing with Jacob."

"I did?" I asked, going through the memory.

Bella nodded slowly. "When I thought Jacob was still on me, you grabbed my arms and when I didn't respond to you immediately, you pushed out with an invisible force. It was slight, but it was enough for me to stop and focus on you."

"Amazing," Eleazar said, shaking his head. "I have no idea whether we should spread this interesting development about singers or not."

"Perhaps it's best we do not," Carlisle said gravely. "I fear what we could come up against if we say anything. As a couple, as their powers develop, will be as formidable as Jane and Alec of the Volturi. We all know that Aro would stop at nothing to obtain them."

Everyone remained silent, all agreeing with Carlisle in their thoughts.

"You do need to let them know that you added a new member to your coven," Tanya indicated. "If you don't, the consequences would be the same if they found out about Bella and Edward, perhaps worse."

Carlisle rose to his feet, nodding. "I will write a letter and send it to him right away."

"With as little details as possible," Alice said as she sat beside Jasper. "If you keep it vague enough, maybe Aro would wait for some time before he asks for a visit."

"That will never happen," I said fiercely. "If we visited, it would not take him long to realize that we share abilities, why would he need us both?"

"He would kill one of us," Bella growled, her fingers tightening around my hand, cracking under the pressure. She immediately dropped it at my hiss and proceeded to rub them as they healed before her curious eyes. Her gaze lifted to mine, giving me a silent apology. I kissed the corner of her mouth to show her it was fine. Incidents like that were expected, it would be some time before her strength would taper down to what was considered normal for one of our kind.

"I believe he would kill one of us, hoping that without a mate, we would not care what we did or where we were. With nothing left to live for, Aro would use that to his advantage to serve as a guard."

Eleazar sighed. "Edward is right. If Aro had to, he would destroy one of them to obtain the other."

"I will keep it as vague as possible," Carlisle stated, turning toward Bella and me. "I'm afraid we have to remain away from Forks. We're all staying here for now. There were too many questions by authorities despite how much Charlie tried to protest that we had anything to do with your disappearance. It's under the state's jurisdiction instead of his office."

"Charlie," Bella whispered. "I need to call him…and Renee."

"We can in the morning," I said softly. "Carlisle gave him a pre-paid, untraceable phone before they left."

"It'll still be suspicious," Bella stated. "Everyone will think you all did something to me."

"It's for the best, Bella." I held onto her hand, but slid the other across the back of her neck. "They were already under scrutiny, and if they examined any closer, they would figure out that we were something other than human."

"We'll eventually have to fake my death, right?"

"I'm afraid so, Bella," Carlisle said, patting her shoulder as he removed something from a cabinet. "This is for you. Your mother and father wished they could've given it to you for your wedding but there hadn't been time."

Bella's brow tightened as she lifted the lid to a blue velvet box. "It was my grandmother's," she whispered, fingers the delicate sapphires.

"It's beautiful, love."

She remained silent as the others continued to talk amongst themselves, coming up with plans to rebuild the cabin that Bella had torn down. Now that our family was complete, the two other couples besides Esme and Carlisle decided they would like to create their own homes on the land. There was no longer a need for the newborn cabins.

"I think we are all in agreement," Carlisle said. "There will be no more additions to our coven." He looked at our extended family. "Of course, that doesn't apply to you." Kate rolled her eyes and Irina shrugged. None of them seemed in too big of a hurry to add any members to their coven, yet.

"I don't think we can come up with a clever cover story if we have more," Alice said, shrugging. "The one we had was hard enough for people to believe."

"Now, I have a baby sister," Emmett said, smirking now that he would play the role of Bella's older brother. "Edward, if you think you're going to date my sister…" Rosalie slapped his shoulder, glaring at him.

"We have no idea what we have planned after I'm able to be around humans," Bella said with a roll of her eyes. "If you think I'm going to relive high school like you all have, you have another thing coming. Three years of it was bad enough."

I sighed. "I wanted to eventually invite Charlie to your graduation." Bella met my gaze and I silently implored with her. When her shoulder slumped slightly, I knew I had won.

"Once," she huffed, playfully glaring at me. "Though I suspect it'll be some time before I can be around people due to bloodlust, maybe even longer until I get a control of my gifts."

"Edward has to go through the same training and developing of your shared powers," Eleazar indicated. "He will have to stay away from humans for a while, too."

I smiled at my wife. "You heard him. I have to stay with you for the next year all alone."

"Oh, the tragedy," Alice quipped, poking out her tongue at me. She turned toward my father. "Maybe while the rest of us attend school and work in Maine?" Carlisle nodded in agreement. "You two can build our cabins to our specifications." Emmett snickered at my groan.

A couple of hours later, my extended family rose to leave. Each one welcomed Bella into the family.

Kate smirked. "It's nice to have a challenge after all this time," she said, powering up her hand. "I will get strong enough to put you on your ass."

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "You can try."

Irina laughed and hugged my wife, whispering in her mind, "It's good to see him smile, thank you." She tightened her hand on my shoulder where I sat, offering one last smile before leaving behind Kate.

Tanya rolled her eyes at her sisters and shook her head. "I apologize, but I think you made quite a first impression on them…on all of us."

"Yeah, by almost killing everyone," Bella huffed. "What a great first impression."

Tanya laughed. "Are you kidding? The last few days have been the most excitement we'd had in decades and I'm a succubus." She turned for the door and added over her shoulder, "If you need any pointers, let me know. We'll girl talk over dinner."

Jasper and Emmett failed on trying not to laugh at Bella's shocked expression. She asked, "Why do I feel that she was not kidding?"

"She means no harm," Carmen said, embracing Bella. "We will see you soon." Eleazar nodded, following his wife.

"I think that's our cue to go," I said.

Bella smiled and helped me to my feet, not that I needed any. "I have one question, how did _you_ resist Caleb's blood?"

I smiled down at her, cupping her cheek. "My only concern was you at the time. I think maybe the fact that you wanted no harm to come to him helped, too. I simply could not hurt him. A part of me knew it would cause you pain, and in essence, hurt me, too."

She turned her face to kiss the inside of my wrist, eliciting desire to rise to the surface once again. Her dark red eyes remained on mine as she lifted to the tips of her toes to kiss me. Too overwhelmed with only thoughts of her, of having her in my arms again, I forgot where we were.

The rest of the world fell away until there was only us.

That was until Emmett said, "Bro, get a room."


	46. Epilogue

**Come Take a Walk with Me**

**Epilogue**

* * *

**Edward**

After saying goodnight to our family, with Bella's hand in mine, we left the main cabin and slowly walked toward our own. Emmett's thoughts intruded mine for a second after we managed to get several yards away, _"Don't do anything I would do."_

Since Bella could hear my thoughts and I hers when we touched, my lovely wife sighed and shook her head. She lifted our intertwined hands to press a kiss to my knuckles, though it seemed like an innocent gesture, something in her eyes said it was not.

Something resembling a smirk accompanied a teasing lift of her brow. "He doesn't know that we _practiced_ and did some things before you changed me, does he? And that we broke a bed while I was _still_ human?"

I grinned, laughing as Emmett's sputter came from the cabin we left moments earlier. That was amazing to hear, a speechless Emmett and the laughter of the rest of my family. "He does now." I had my doubts that the information would keep Emmett from making fun of us, but Bella, I was positive, would dance circles around him.

Bella shrugged delicately and tugged me toward the forest. Confused, I cocked an eyebrow in question. "You need to hunt," she reminded me.

After leaving Caleb in his home, I had intended to hunt. It was still astonishing that I managed to refrain from draining the boy myself when I was at my thirstiest in weeks. However, thoughts of Bella, and how I did not wish to be away from her for too long had me running back as soon as possible. It had been a wonderful to see her sitting amongst my family, still shy and unused to the attention she was receiving as a newborn, and as my wife.

As a member of our family.

"I want to see you hunt," she said, her lips twitching slightly in an attempt to hide her smile. Her thoughts were no longer broadcasting, but when I tried to use the shield she claimed I possessed, I could not sense it.

I asked what I wanted to know instead. "Why is that, love?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I guess I want to see someone as practiced as you hunt. Do you hunt like a bear, or a tiger?" Her walls came down in time for me to see her imagine Emmett taking a swing at a mountain lion, much like a bear would. However, her thoughts disappeared once again.

Allowing her to pull me further into the surrounding forest, I asked if she could open up her mind to me. She tried, but huffed in frustration seconds later. It would take some time for us to develop our powers. I did believe her powers manifested more easily for her when she was calm, as she was in the cabin with my family, and when she or someone she cared for was in danger.

Whatever happened, we would figure it out together.

"My family says I hunt like a mountain lion and that happens to be my preference."

"So you hunt like you eat," she teased. "I would really like to see that." I nodded, because I would love to see her hunt, too. I hated the fact that I had not been there when she first fed. A shiver of desire spread down my spine at my vivid imagination.

"The wolves I fed on smelled like _him_," she said bitingly, growling slightly under a harsh breath, her free hand clenched into a fist before she continued. "Made it harder to…tolerate their blood, but I was too thirsty to be picky."

"And you did not want to hurt my family," I said softly. We had yet to discuss what happened with Jacob. She had remained quiet as Carlisle explained that they would be sending Jacob's body back to his father for proper burial by his people. She had assured me that she did not resent the fact that I had killed him.

Her only regret on the matter was that Billy, Jacob's father, would suffer the loss of his only son. She possibly also regretted that Jacob had not died by her hands. After the dark threat on her father's life, it was what she had craved to do.

I wanted to change the direction of her thoughts and asked, "Do you think if you are too hungry that your shield would lash out like before?"

She shook her head, dark curls cascading over back and shoulders. "I'm not sure yet. We'll have to see and test it eventually. Especially once I'm reintroduced into society." She lifted our hands up her lips again, watching me closely. "And I meant what I said earlier. I am in no hurry for that."

"I understand that," I replied. "But it is considerably easier to stay in one area for a longer period of time if we pose as students." She sighed, clearly not willing to budge on the subject. "How are we supposed to leave the house and go into town without going to school, too? It would raise suspicions."

"Who said we had to leave the house?" She shrugged again, her brow furrowing. "With today's social media, there is no way we can keep up our cover story. I'm willing to bet that on some website, there are plenty of former classmates that remember you and your family. You are all pretty unforgettable."

I smiled. "Alice has said as much and Jasper has conveniently hacked several sites for that reason."

"You can't hack and erase memories." She waved it away, not wanting to discuss it further. In a way, she was right; eventually we would have to come up with different cover stories, or else stay away from cities and humans all together. Jasper was constantly monitoring websites, and would likely become a full-time job.

"Which way?" she asked, sighing contently as she slid her arm around my waist.

It was hard to believe that we had finally reached a point where we could be together with no issues with her health, or a violent, obsessive wolf looming over our heads.

In a way, everything that it had taken to reach this start of our new life together had mentally exhausted me. As I watched her brow furrow with concern, I knew that I would do it all again, if only to have her with me for eternity.

"Where did you go?" she asked, pulling me into a hard hug that had me grunting in surprise. The smile on her face was a little smug and radiant. She loved the fact that she was stronger than I was, for now.

"Nowhere, really," I replied as I pressed a kiss to her temple. "Only thinking of the path we had to take to be here today."

Her eyes closed for a second and then looked down. "I would change very little, I think." Red eyes, rimmed with black lifted to meet my gaze. "I don't know if we would be here now if I had allowed you to continue to lie to me."

The day in the cafeteria seemed a lifetime ago. She had asked such a simple question, if I would tell her the truth. When I indicated that I would likely not do so, she had walked away from me. Denied me her presence and friendship, and attempted to ignore me.

I was not sure what would have happened if she chose to continue our unorthodox relationship that day, though I did believe we would still be together. There was little chance I would have been successful in staying away from her; at least, not for long.

"I love you," I whispered, pressing my mouth to hers. A small whimper escaped her at the next meeting of our lips, opening enough to entice her to wrap her arms around me fully. Fingers combed through my hair and my own gripped her hips. They tightened at the feel of her tongue against mine, the taste of her there, potent and sweet.

"Edward," she gasped when I pulled away. Before I could get too far, she tugged me back until her lips sucked on my bottom one.

"Bella," I groaned, my thirst replaced by another kind of hunger. She hissed and pushed me away.

"Hunt," she whispered, circling a finger. "I'll follow." My eyes narrowed and wondered how she was able to stop in the middle of that, when there was no reason for it. "It's simple, my love. You feed now, and we can stay in the cabin for the next few days until I need to feed, without interruptions."

I smirked, shaking my head. "I like the way you think."

Sweetly, she said, "Thank you." Then she disappeared into a tree high above us.

"Bella!" I said. "What are you doing?"

"I want to get a good view. I'll follow behind from up here."

Unsure if I should even bother, I remained rooted under the tree only to see her jump into the canopy of another, only a light coating of snow following. I frowned and decided to hunt as usual. It was, after all, what she wanted.

Her thoughts were suddenly clear. _"Can you hear me?"_

"Yes," I said both in aloud in my mind.

"_I can, too. Yay!" _

Laughing, I started to run and led her through the trees, smiling as she often whooped in delight whenever she made a good landing. Within sixty miles north of the cabin, we heard the telltale sound of a few heartbeats.

"Not human," she whispered as she dropped down beside me. Looking up the sky at a small break in the thick canopy, she asked, "Can we see the Aurora Borealis from here?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled her to my side. "I know where we can see the Northern Lights, but I thought I was going to hunt." It would take some time before she would stop being easily distracted, however, the idea of watching the phenomenon with her beside me sounded perfect.

She frowned and nodded, jumping once again into a tree overhead. _"Go ahead, please."_

Despite the fact that she was nearby, my thirst eventually allowed me to focus on the hunt. I honed my hearing, listening for the beating heart of a mountain lion along a snow bank over five hundred feet away. Full from its recent hunt, it lounged beside the base of a tree, lazily flicking its tail. The other hearts near her were thankfully not cubs, since my family abhorred the notion of killing a mother. We were careful never to hunt excessively and to keep the fragile ecosystem from suffering.

As I concentrated on the beat of its heart, the rush of blood through its veins and the soft pants of her slumber, my throat and gut flared with the need to feed. Crouching near a rock formation, I determined my strategy and leapt through the air. I landed beside it and went for the kill immediately, my jaw clamping down on its jugular with half a second.

It protested feebly under my strength, before I ended its suffering with a quick snap of her neck. Blood flowed freely, each pull quenching the hunger that clawed inside me. I groaned, realizing for the first time in hours how much I had needed to feed.

I heard something behind me. It was another heartbeat and a rumble of a questioning growl behind me. Before I could react to the other predator, Bella dropped down on its back, keening softly before she sank her teeth into its neck. My gaze turned to her as she watched me, her eyes like mesmerizing rubies, almost glowing under her long lashes. I heard the snap of her prey's neck as I finished my own.

I dropped the corpse on the ground slowly, rising to my feet, Bella's eyes following my every move. As I took a step in her direction, a low purring growl emitted from her throat. A wave of desire swept through me and I suddenly understood why she was adamant on me hunting first. It was not simply desire to learn from me, but it seemed to heighten her arousal, and as I watched her, my own rose.

I had heard on too many occasions from my family how much the couples enjoyed hunting together, but I had never experienced this elemental level of desire for Bella. It had been there when we met and every day since, but never more potent as she watched me with wild, desire-filled eyes.

It was unexpected, considering it was our first time together. As newlyweds, I wanted that experience to be special and romantic and not a wild tumble in the forest. My hands fisted at my sides, fighting the urge to grab her and do what instinct drove me to do.

She leapt to feet, her eyes still on me as she swept a hand over her bloodstained lips. I bit back the groan that almost spilled forth. "Apparently, I'm a messy eater," she said with a scowl.

I sighed. "It will take some practice." My eyes roamed over her attire, finding exposed skin along her stomach, her chest, and one of her thighs, a visual temptation. Before I could pull her into my arms as I wanted, she asked what we did with the bodies. I showed her how properly to dispose of them by digging them deep in the ground, no shallow graves since it was too risky.

Once done with our tasks, she asked if I was still thirsty. Deciding it was best to hunt so that I would not feel the need for at least a few weeks, I fed on another mountain lion before we set out to our cabin.

"Can we go see it now?" she asked, her shoulder pressed against my side. I wanted to deny her, since there were other things on my mind. However, when she gazed up at me with a soft look in her eyes, I could not say no.

Bypassing the cabin, I led her through the forest at our top speed. I was pleasantly surprised that despite her newborn status, I was still faster. There was a freedom of finally being open about my abilities around her, no longer fearing that I would scare her away. The moment we reached our destination, I managed to capture her before she passed me. "If you go any farther west, you will end up in Russia."

Her laughter was sweet as I wrapped my arms around her from behind. She rested her head back on my chest, looking up at the dark sky above. It was a nice, clear night and the colors of the Northern Lights seemed especially bright. I had seen them on thousands of occasions. I visited the place when I needed to getaway from the rest of my family when we stayed near Denali Park.

"They are beautiful tonight," I whispered as the wind started to pick up. No longer threatened by the elements, Bella remained safe within my arms.

"Does that mean they weren't before?" There was a hint of confusion in her voice, but also curiosity. The colors overhead rivaled that of a rainbow, some unseen by the human eye.

"Of course," I replied, kissing her temple and wrapping my arms around her tighter. "Only now, they are even more so, since you are with me."

She sighed softly, almost melting against me. "You say the sweetest things sometimes."

I smiled, my lips pressing to her silky hair. "I am speaking the truth."

Her hands moved over mine on her stomach, lifting them off slightly so that she could turn within my hold. Her eyes met mine before falling to my parted lips. Unable to resist such a tempting offer and her blatant desire, I kissed her. It only took a second for it to become so much more. Hands roams, teeth tested skin, tongues tasted and our mutual moans filled the air around us.

She panted as she pulled away after several minutes. "I'm ready to go back to our cabin." I dipped down for another chaste kiss, and then intertwined our hands as I pulled away. After we had gone several yards, she let go and ran ahead of me, laughing as she widened the gap between us.

There was no doubt about it. Bella would always keep me on my toes. I pumped my legs and picked up speed, bypassing her and reaching the small porch of the cabin before her. A smile perched on my lips as I leaned against a post, waiting. She caught up, coming to a stop a few feet away. She shook her head, laughing at me.

My arm extended as I offered her my hand, which she took immediately. A slight tug had her in my arms, hers wrapped around my shoulders. Our eyes locked, her nose brushing along mine.

I tapped the front door with my shoe, only to find a hundred lit candles on various surfaces throughout the large room. Bella gasped softly, nuzzling her lips against my ear.

"I do not deserve the credit for this," I said, knowing I owed someone big for this.

Bella inhaled deeply, giggling, her eyes widening. "Tanya!" I was relieved to find there was no animosity between Bella and the one persistent vampire in my family.

Surprise filled my voice. "I think that is her way of saying…"

With a smile, Bella completed my sentence. "Welcome to the family." Sighing softly, she pressed her forehead against my temple, kissing my cheek. "I love your family already. I never knew having a big one would feel right." She shrugged. "I love you, Edward. Thank you."

Confused, I pulled away enough to look in her eyes. "For what?"

"For loving me, for existing," she murmured.

I pressed my lips to hers. "Before you, I was _simply _existing, living day to day, but not really _living_." I settled her onto the floor, holding her close, my hands spanning her hips and lower back. "Now that you are a part of my existence, I can finally enjoy my life."

She kissed me again, and before I could deepen it, she sighed. "You always know what to say." Stepping away from me, she pointed toward the bathroom. "I have blood and animal stink all over me. I need to shower." Since she did not ask me to join her, I nodded.

Once the bathroom door clicked closed, I searched the room for our belongings. During Bella's transformation and our move after the near destruction of the other cabin, Alice had brought over our belongings. It was not much, and I hoped that my sister had thought to bring us more. If Bella continued to hunt as she had earlier, she would tear up most of her clothes in a couple of weeks.

A shiver of awareness and desire moved through me again at the thought of our hunt. I shook it away; we had plenty of time to explore those possibilities another time. For the moment, I wanted to make love to my wife as she deserved.

A touch of nervousness crept through me. I never had seen my virginity as a burden, despite how much my brothers had teased me. To me, it was not something to give away to someone that I did not love, and especially to "get it over with," as Emmett had often commented through the years.

The good thing was that this time, when I lay Bella down in our bed, I would not have to worry about hurting her, giving into my thirst, or be constantly calculating in my head. Our previous experiences, though limited and too few, were wonderful, I knew it would be different.

I stripped down, dressed quickly when I found another pair of sleep pants, and folded everything else. There was nothing for me to do, since there was a fire roaring in the hearth nearby, there was no need for sustenance for at least a couple of days, and in the end, there was nothing to worry about our night.

Yet, soon I was pacing near the foot of the bed, my fingers carelessly sweeping through my hair. Bella's shower had ended almost three minutes earlier and she had yet to emerge.

Had she changed her mind? Was she as nervous as I was? Was she not ready? Another thought crossed my mind, one that said she escaped through the window to quench her thirst on a human. However, I immediately pushed it away.

First, I believed in her and knew that she genuinely did not want to hurt a human. Second, I would have heard her.

If that was the case, what was keeping her?

"Don't be a coward," I heard her say in the softest of whispers, as she placed her hand on the door handle. The reassurance that we were still on the same page emptied all negative thoughts from me. My shoulders relaxed and I remained beside the bed, waiting and anticipating her return.

The door opened, and preceding her was a long length of her right foot and calf, all smooth skin, milky white and slim. Her feet were bare, her toes painted a pale pink, apparently courtesy of Alice.

Another thing I had to thank my sister for was the white negligee that graced my wife's sweet frame. It reached only an inch above her knees, trimmed with delicate lace. My eyes continued to roam over her exquisite body, along the curves of her hips, modestly covered in silk. The fabric was transparent enough to make out the seam between hip and thigh, forcing me needlessly to swallow. Slim lace cutouts curved along her sides, giving me a tantalizing glimpse of the side of her breasts. At the neckline, it dipped only slightly, and though the cooler temperature did not bother her, arousal temptingly hardened her nipples. From where I stood, I could see the color of them beneath the silk. They were a deep pink that I knew matched the exact shade of her lips.

She was too far away and I quickly remedied that by offering her my hand. In the space of half a second, she was in arms, my lips were on hers, and finally, I was able to hold onto her as tightly as possible. I basked in something as simple as an embrace, partnered with a sweet kiss that quickly escalated as our passion grew.

"Edward." A sweet moan tumbled from her lips. One of my hands cradled the side of her face, my fingers slowly ascending to her luxurious hair. My groan was breathless against her ear as her hands skimmed over my abdomen. Breath lingered on skin, our bodies pressing closer as we stepped toward the bed. Limbs tangled, sheets pushed aside as her head lay on an ivory pillow. Her glorious hair fanned around her shoulders and face, and I had to stop long enough to see all of her. I groaned at the feel of her beneath me.

A smile pulled up each corner of her beautiful lips, and I had to sample them again. Something akin to a giggle-gasp slipped for her mouth before I hurriedly kissed her. I pulled back, shaking my head laughing and kissing her, whispering, "I love you."

Her smile softened, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of my neck, her eyes dropped to my lips again as she pulled me down for another kiss. She stopped me, only a hair's breadth away, and she whispered, "I love you, always, Edward."

Our mutual moans filled the air, accompanied with soft words. Her beautiful negligee fluttered to the floor within a few minutes, and I filled my hands with her breasts. Hers wandered along my back. She arched beneath me, asking for more. My mouth descended, nipping at skin, tasting the softness beneath my tongue. Another laugh moved through her when she slid her leg around my hip, pulling me forward and I grunted at the force, hissing at the contact. She was warm between her thighs, and my hips were almost flush with hers.

"Careful there," I whispered against her nipple. She moaned softly, nodding as she loosened her hold on me. "Slow, love."

Her hands moved across my shoulders, down my back as I continued to tease the pink tip of her breast. I loved that she could freely touch me, and I no longer had to worry about hurting her. If I lost control now, she would likely be right there with me. However, I wanted our first time to be about _who_ we were and not _what_ we were.

"Edward," she gasped at the feel of my teeth testing her fragrant skin. She smelled so good as a human, but her scent as a vampire drove another desire to the surface other than bloodlust. She smelled the same, only sweeter. I loved it. I wanted to taste every inch her, marvel the way my hands moved across her smooth skin, and feel her quake under my questing fingers.

I pulled enough away to cradle her hips in my hands, watching my thumbs brush back and forth on her hips. I looked up to see her face, to find her looking at me with a shy smile. Her gaze dropped down, and I did the same, only slower. My eyes skimmed over porcelain skin, lingered on her chest, and dove toward her navel. There was a quiver at the small curve there, my fingers traced around the tiny indentation, my brow furrowing.

"No regrets," she whispered. She had read the momentary thought of not being able to give her a child that crossed my mind for only an instant. I nodded; she was right, no regrets.

Offering her a smile, I pressed a kiss to her stomach, a shiver running through her, the slight vibration on my lips. I groaned, having caught the scent of spiking arousal.

I watched my hands slide up the insides of her thighs. Her legs shook around my hips and loved that, despite her strength, she still became weak in the knees at my touch. I felt the push of her shield suddenly, and I looked up to find a playful scowl on her lips.

Coyly, I smirked and kissed her mouth before my fingers slipped over the trimmed curls between her thighs. It was different from the first time I touched her but she seemed extremely more responsive. She moaned that the touch of my thumb across her most sensitive and softest skin.

Like the first time, I skimmed, tested, and touched to find what she loved most. I captured soft sighs, keening cries with my lips, and watching as she fell apart beneath me.

"Edward," she gasped, her chest arching toward my mouth. It was invitation that I was unable to deny and sampled at the hardened nipples calling to me. One of her hands tugged on my hair slightly, a whispered plea answered with another kiss.

I slipped a hand under her shoulder, grasping the back of her neck, my fingers tangling into her silky hair. Her neck exposed for my exploration, where I licked and kissed around my bite, my mark.

"Oh God," she moaned at the growl that rumbled from my chest. I lifted my mouth from her neck, panting, and desperate to look in her eyes at that very moment. Her bottom lip quivered. Her eyes opened wide, their color as beautiful as the rest of her. She gasped as I pushed slightly inside her. Her trembling lip turned into a quaking one, her eyes rolling closed with every rock forward of my hips.

"Bella," I groaned, unable to take my eyes off her. Her mouth parted with my name, before she was able to meet my gaze. "I love you."

We moved together slowly, at first. Hips rolled, rocked, and thrust until words seemed to fail us both. It was wonderful and as maddening as the first time I touched her intimately.

I thought it would be impossible to be any better. The feel of her arms encircling me, chest to chest, legs twined together, exploring fingers, I felt surrounded.

I was wrong.

Suddenly, her shield was down. I read her pleasure from her thoughts and she read mine. I could see myself through her eyes. The same inner glow she showed me during her transformation, the light she claimed was my soul was bright and golden. I gasped her name, and found the same glimmer emanating from her. Was it_ my_ shield that allowed me to see her like this? Whatever it was, she was even more beautiful than ever.

Our mutual groans escalated, our bodies quickening, the bed cracked beneath us, but it mattered little. Her hands, afraid she would hurt me, twisted in the sheets. The silk was no match for her fingers, tearing within seconds. I showed her how much I loved her, what I wanted to do with her, and in turn, she shared her imagination with me.

I groaned, pressing my face against her shoulder, my mouth on her neck. My breath and lips ghosted over my mark again, and she cried out, clenching around me. My body shuddered, seizing for a moment as I let go inside her. It was blinding, perfect, and beautiful.

Minutes passed and I remained with my head on her chest. Her fingers played with my hair, her mind once again closed. My hand ran down her thigh, my gaze resting on another of my bites there.

"Do you think it will always be like this?" she whispered, her hand moving across my shoulders.

"I have no doubt about it."

She laughed softly. "I'm glad you feel that way." I looked up to find her smiling shyly.

"Why is that?"

She surprised me, instantly changing our positions. I groaned as her mouth moved down my chest, nipping gently at my navel.

"Bella," I grunted as she straddled my hips.

"Because I want to do that again," she bent to kiss me again, whispering, "And again, and again."

I laughed and ran my hands up her naked back. She was so small and slight in my arms, yet her strength was incredible. I cradled her face as we kissed again and I sat up to hold her better, moaning as she took me inside her.

We never tired, only breaking long enough to change positions or take advantage of shower. As I tended to the fire, wanting to watch light from it dance across Bella's skin, I thought about the future.

I knew that despite the success of the last few days, the next year of Bella's life as a predator would be hard on her, and us. The best I could do was to keep my promise. I would do what I could to stop her from hurting others, human or vampire. When she was ready, we could join the masses and go back to high school or college so that I could keep another promise I made to myself. I wanted for Charlie and Renee to see their daughter graduate. Eventually, I hoped that she would continue my family's charade, but if she did not, we would find a compromise.

I wanted to share so much with her. Show her my childhood home, visit all corners of the Earth, and watch it with different eyes for the first time, through hers. If she was truly seeing my soul, it was because of her that it glowed. She loved me despite my flaws, and I would endeavor to love her for the rest of my existence.

~oOo~

Two years after Jacob was gone and Bella became an immortal, life was getting better day by day, but it had not been easy since that first night. Twice since then, she encountered a human scent in the wilderness of Alaska and she nearly killed someone at the hands of her bloodlust.

Each time was unique and left my family and us reeling after. The first incident was two months after her transformation. Her shield had lashed out when she went after a hermit we heard rumors of before, but never were able to determine if he lived in the area or not through the years.

Bella and I had been hunting, Jasper and Emmett joining us since neither of them were doing well since they almost attacked Caleb and had to hunt more often. The man we came across was older, at least sixty, though in decent shape and had been collecting from a fish trap in the nearby river. Bella had gone on instinct and it took all three of us to hold her back until he left, but her shield protested against our restraining arms and started to grow in intensity. When it finally unleashed itself, Jasper and Emmett immediately collapsed, having drained them of their energy. My own shield protected me from the brunt of hers.

Jasper and Emmett had been out for hours before Carlisle spoon food them some blood, and along with a jolt of energy from Bella, had returned to normal. Since then, everyone was cautious of her and she had been so guilt-ridden by what happened, she refused to talk to anyone but me or to leave the cabin for over two weeks. It was not until I insisted that she was risking more by not feeding that she finally relented and started to hunt again.

The second time, it was thirteen months after that first night in her new life that we decided to test her since she had been able to be within smelling distance of the village and not be tempted to attack anyone.

We managed to walk down the main road, even purchase something in one of the stores, when a familiar voice called her name. Caleb and his mother were there, too, and it was obvious that the boy had not forgotten either of us. Olivia, his mother, was cautious and wary of us, and had asked how we knew him when Bella read her thoughts. We realized she was hiding bruises under her makeup. A man she was dating for a few months was drunk when he took out his being laid off from work, on her and even turned on Caleb. It explained the bruises on his arm.

Bella's shield immediately lashed out, putting every human to sleep in the store, including the Olivia and the boy. I had to catch them, allowing her to escape before I could do anything. Her thoughts focused on the man's face in Caleb's mind. She had gone after him because he dared to lay a hand on the small family. If it had not been for Alice and Carlisle, who watched from nearby, Bella would have torn him apart.

I had to leave Olivia, Caleb and the others in the store to help her and my family. She kicked and screamed as I dragged her into the woods, our mutual shields putting everyone in the area to sleep and draining my family in seconds.

She was in such a state that I had to use the tried and true method of distraction on her. I made love to her on the forest floor. Emmett, to this day, still would not let us live that down.

It took considerable amount of ingenuity for Alice and Carlisle to come up with a plausible reason for the entire town to become unconscious at the same time. We could no longer visit after that, since it was too risky.

From the beginning, it was obvious Bella had formed an attachment on the boy, and if he was hurt in any way, it angered her too much to be in town with him. She did have me start a college fund for the child and created a false life insurance policy to benefit his mother, and in turn, Caleb.

Another tough transition was my family. It was not easy for Bella. Before it had been mostly just her and Renee, then Phil appeared, and two became three. When she moved to Forks, it was only two again. She hated the loss of privacy the most. On more than one occasion, her easily distracted mind and quick newborn temper had ended with Emmett crying out in pain. He actually found it amusing, and as Carlisle had mentioned, his antics were teaching us how our powers worked. It was an ongoing discovery and learning experience that we knew would take years to master.

We shared our abilities, but some were easier for me as others were for her. I could read minds using the shield up to five miles away and I could block them out due to it, as well. Bella could use hers as a weapon much better than I could, and use it to heal. I still could not do that well, not that we had much chance to use that gift.

If we touched, our shield's power amplified and my mind reading capabilities were enhanced even further. I could read all memories, not just those foremost in their minds. Eleazar and Carlisle were more determined than ever that no one outside of our family knew of our capabilities. With our powers, and Alice's and Jasper's, it was likely that Aro would stop at nothing to have us.

A couple of weeks after Carlisle sent a letter to Italy, there had been a moment that Aro had made the decision to send someone to visit us. By the time the vision finished in Alice's thoughts, it had disappeared just as quickly. Since then, on occasion, the same thing would happen.

We hoped it would be years, possibly decades before he solidified his decision to send someone to see us or ask Bella and me to visit. All of that helped us to decide to leave the family one day and travel. We would visit them when we could.

It was for the best, until then there was something else we had to accomplish.

Bella emerged from our bedroom, our cabin now finished to resemble a cottage found within the pages of a fairytale. We were nestled in a forest near Rochester, New York, and the main house where the others stayed sat several hundred yards away from our home. It was something we insisted on since Emmett still antagonized Bella when he could. The skinny dipping incident still left my wife on edge whenever the oaf mentioned how he caught us. Rosalie had on a few occasions asked her to knock Emmett out when he was being especially annoying.

Personally, I loved watching my Bella put him in his place. She was no longer a newborn and she was still more formidable than he was, and at her mere five-four stature. Another lesson he had not learned was that I could still kick his ass, now more than ever, and without having to lay a finger on him.

"Your mind is going a few hundred miles a second," she said, grabbing her backpack. Lifting it high, she scowled at it before she slipped it over a shoulder. "Tell me again why we have to go back to high school."

I laughed, rising from the couch. The journal and pen I was writing in dropped to the cushion before I joined her across the room. My arms wound around her, kissing her lips softly.

"Your parents are desperate to see you," I reminded her. "You know the video calls are no longer enough. They miss you."

She shrugged, her hands sliding up my arms to wrap around my neck. "For them to see me graduate, I need to attend school. I get that, and I want them to have that. But what I don't get is why we have to start as freshman."

"The longer we can stay in the area, you know this," I murmured, kissing her again.

She snuggled up against me, laughing. Her eyes widened slightly and bit her lip nervously. "Sorry, I know and it makes sense. I just hate high school and worse, I can read minds. I _do not_ want to know what hormonal teenagers are thinking, or worse, the teachers." She shuddered in my arms.

She had right to worry. The teachers were prone to fantasizing about us, too. "And that is the reason why we have been working hard on blocking out thoughts. You have a hang of it, you'll be fine." My hands slipped down her back, spanning her hips to pull her closer. "Now, I think we have a little time," my fingers started on the buttons of her blouse, loosening each one quickly, "Before we have to leave."

She hummed as my lips started to trek down her throat. "I just got dressed."

"Don't worry, I'll help you get redressed…later," I whispered, kissing her hungrily. I felt her laugh against my lips before it turned into a sweet moan. She stilled when her jeans tore beneath my desperate fingers and pulled back, sighing.

"Again," she grumbled. "That's my third pair this month." I shrugged, attempting to add as much innocence to my face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were still showing off to Emmett and Jasper."

My thoughts safely guarded, I only smiled at her, following as she made her way to our bedroom. "I hardly see throwing out torn clothes as showing off."

She looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes narrowing. "And the fourteen beds we've broken, the thirty two windows we've replaced, and six drywall patches we've done since we moved here are not part of you showing off?"

"Of course not, love." She shrugged. It was an indication that she accepted my answer. She did not even question the fact that my thoughts were no longer readable to her. Following closely behind her, I helped remove her ruined jeans and into a new pair, much later.

I loved helping her dress as much as getting her undressed and I strived to do it as often as possible. As she sat in the passenger seat beside me, I knew she enjoyed it, too. I wondered briefly if we could leave the campus for lunch.

"Edward," Jasper groaned in the back seat. "Will you please stop?"

Alice laughed and said, "Maybe it would be best not to ride to school with the two of you in the mornings for a while."

"Try like ever," Jasper murmured, kicking the back of my seat.

Bella's eyebrow rose as our eyes met. "I can guess what Jasper was feeling from you," she said, smiling as I pulled up to our new school. Emmett and Rosalie's jeep slid into the parking spot beside us a second later.

Together, we exited our vehicles, gaining the attention of every student in the courtyard nearby. "So, are they already talking about us?" Emmett asked, his hand clasping around Rosalie's fingers.

"There are a few rumors already flying around," I replied, draping my arm over Bella's shoulder. I looked down at my wife, kissing the tip of her nose. "It should be an interesting day."

Emmett gave me a Cheshire like grin. "If you hated the things they said about Bella before, now, you'll downright want to kill someone."

"Doesn't help that Alice dresses her," Rosalie said, winking at Bella. "She rocks those skinny jeans."

I was not sure when their relationship changed. Perhaps Caleb, the young boy neither of them could forget, was the catalyst.

"Can you all stop talking as if I'm not right here?" Bella growled, breathing deeply to calm down.

"I'm sorry, love," I whispered and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "Everyone is feeling a little nervous about your first day."

"I know," she sighed, attempting to smile. "Come on, let's go to school."

"That almost sounded enthusiastic," I teased as I led her toward the school office.

"_Sorry,_" she thought. _"I'm trying and I don't like how you talk now."_

"It's necessary…"

"For the act, yeah, yeah," she said, taking my hand. A mischievous look entered her eyes. "Promise me that, after school, you'll take advantage of our parts as young, naïve, hormonal teenagers and go park somewhere."

"As opposed to any other day you two are young and hormonal," Emmett snickered and grabbed her around the waist, hauling her over his shoulder. She screamed, slapping his back. "You're the best, sis," he said aloud to help with our story. He punched my shoulder when I rolled my eyes. There were better ways to establish ourselves within the student masses. He confidently strode the rest of the way toward the office, earning a lot of questioning glances. At least they knew that they were siblings.

"He is going to be a pain this year," I groaned and followed behind them.

Jasper patted my shoulder and smiled. "Try the next twenty."

"Bella," I said, only loud enough for our kind to hear. "Would you like to visit the island soon?"

Her head popped up, propping herself on her hands that rested on Emmett's wide back. "Can we leave tomorrow?" Confusion furrowed her brow. _"The family has an island?"_

"I'll see about arrangements, love."

~oOo~

Hours later, our siblings ahead of us, I walked along with Bella toward the cafeteria. She pinched my side. "What was that for?" I asked.

"Edward Cullen, you've been holding out me," she hissed from under the eve of the building.

The island. I had not mentioned it to her before, mainly because I wanted to save it for a special occasion and some alone time.

I growled, pulling her toward me. "You have no idea. I want you to myself."

She sighed at the lingering brush of my lips after a minute of kissing her, nowhere near enough. "I can't believe we're right back to where it all started," she said, looking inside the cafeteria that was similar to the one at Forks High. "Well, almost."

I smiled down at her and whispered, "We could always redo that day."

She shook her head. "I don't see how it would've turned out any different."

"We'd still be together," I agreed. It was true; no matter what changed in our past, I fully believed we were meant to be.

She waited as I opened the door for her. Together, we entered into the next phase of our lives. In four years, she would seal two invitations to send to her parents for our graduation. After that, we could do anything her heart desired, and go anywhere. What that was, did not matter as long as she was always beside me.

A few hundred thoughts bombarded us from all sides as we walked toward a table, but as her fingers slipped into mine, a bubble formed around us. In our own little world, we only heard each other and I hoped it would never change.

"_Forever," _her thoughts whispered. _"I will love you forever."_

"I love you," I said aloud. I lifted our intertwined fingers to my lips, kissing her there. "Forever."

THE END

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**AN: I'd like to thank kyla713 for all your help and hand holding you've done throughout this story. Thanks for joining me on this little adventure. Thanks to those that recommended and reviewed my story. You mean a lot to me. If you have any questions please ask, and I'll do my best to answer them.**

**I know some of you expected to see more happen with the Aro and the Volturi, but if Bella and Edward leave the family, the Cullens would be less of a threat to them and they wouldn't need to visit. At least that's how I see it. I never intended this to go as far as it had, but it was fun to write. **

**I'll be offering a pdf/mobi/epub version of this in the next few weeks. Check my profile if you'd like a copy soon. Thanks! Now, I have to decide what other WIP I should work on besides Punch Me, Love Me, Save Me. Hmmm**


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